It has been more than a year since former UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor fought in the Octagon. His last fight was against Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 where he succeeded to become the first UFC fighter to hold two belts simultaneously. Since then, “The Notorious” went in an indefinite leave, and when he decided to fight again, it was not in the Octagon but in the boxing ring against undefeated boxing champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.
After the MayMac superfight, Conor McGregor hinted at his plan to return to the UFC but taking too long to fight again forced the promotion to take away the featherweight and lightweight belts from him. UFC President Dana White opened up the possibility that McGregor could retire as an MMA fighter, saying that he already earned lots of money to spend for the rest of his life. However, according to Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie , White and McGregor will be a having a meeting in Liverpool this weekend to discuss the former UFC champ’s future.
The UFC president is aware of the legal issues “The Notorious” is currently facing, but that won’t stop him from talking about his potential return in the Octagon.
“Obviously he has to deal with that in June,” White said. “I’m flying to Liverpool this weekend for a fight there, and he and I are going to meet in Liverpool.”
Conor McGregor is a ‘coked up little leprechaun’ and a ‘nerd,’ according to one of UFC’s most controversial fighters https://t.co/q5osWD2TWJ
— Insider Business (@BusinessInsider) May 23, 2018
Conor McGregor is one of UFC’s biggest pay-per-view fighters so it’s not a surprise that the promotion still wants him to fight again in the Octagon despite being involved in a bus attack during April’s UFC 223 fight week in Brooklyn. However, despite their desperation to bring the controversial fighter back to the fold, White made it clear that he has no intention to interfere with his ongoing legal battle.
“We’re going to sit down and talk about his future and what’s next,” White said. “But obviously I have nothing to do with the legal issues. He has to figure that out on his own.”
On his Instagram account, McGregor is already teasing his UFC return with a photo of him striking a fighting pose followed by the words “See you soon.” As of now, it remains unknown who will be McGregor’s next opponent once he sets foot in the Octagon. Both of the belts he once owned already belong to other MMA fighters. Khabib Nurmagomedov is currently the reigning UFC lightweight champion, while Max Holloway rules the featherweight division. If he passes on reclaiming either belt, McGregor may consider a trilogy fight with his UFC rival Nate Diaz.
