Dana White has offered an explanation for why Conor McGregor has yet to return.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC), who hasn’t competed since he broke his leg in July 2021, has been linked to a comeback fight with Michael Chandler ever since they filmed Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” nearly a year ago.
Then he had to cross the hurdle of re-entering the USADA testing pool and complete six months of testing, which he did this past October. That made McGregor eligible to return in April, but he’s yet to have an official date and venue for his comeback. McGregor announced June 29 for International Fight Week, but White later said he’s hoping he’ll fight in the fall.
So what’s the reason for the delay?
“First of all, he is coming back from one of the nastiest injuries you can come back from,” White told Kevin Iole. “How long was Anderson Silva out when he did it? How long was Chris Weidman out when he did it? The guys who break that bone (are out a long time), so that’s an issue right there, No. 1. No. 2 is, Conor McGregor doesn’t need the f*cking money. So when you don’t need the money, it’s not as easy. Khabib (Nurmagomedov) doesn’t need the money – Khabib retired.”
Silva broke his leg when Weidman checked a kick against him in December 2013. He returned 13 months later to fight Nick Diaz. Weidman broke his leg throwing a kick against Uriah Hall in April 2021. He returned 28 months later against Brad Tavares. McGregor currently has been out for around 31 months.
“Only Conor knows (when he’s ready),” White said. “These are questions for Conor McGregor, not me. I know he’s training. I don’t know what level of training he’s doing. I don’t know what level of kicking he’s doing right now. I don’t know any of that stuff. I need to know the guy’s in a full camp and he’s ready to go. Conor McGregor has a movie coming out. He’s got businesses that he’s built. It’s a completely different dynamic when you’re dealing with a guy that has this kind of money.”
McGregor has a key role in the upcoming Jake Gyllenhaal-led “Road House” remake, which will be released March 21 on Amazon Prime Video.
