Dana White explains real reason why Conor McGregor is yet to make UFC comeback

Dana White has explained why Conor McGregor has yet to return to the UFC after recovering from his injury.

McGregor hasn't fought since July 2021 when he suffered a nasty ankle break in his TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

But he's recovered from his injury as he closes in on his Octagon return, having uploaded footage of his sparring on social media.

McGregor was briefly linked with a headline slot at UFC 300 until White made a shock timeframe for his comeback.

The Irishman, however, claims he's returning to action in the summer after he revealed a June 29 date against Michael Chandler.

The delay in McGregor's return remains a mystery as White provided an explanation as to why his star fighter hasn't fought in nearly three years.

The UFC CEO referenced the 35-year-old's injury and claimed he 'doesn't need the money'.

"First of all, he is coming back from one of the nastiest injuries you can come back from," he told Kevin Iole via MMA Junkie. "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**king money. So when you don’t need the money, it’s not as easy. Khabib [Nurmagomedov] doesn’t need the money - Khabib retired."

Conor McGregor during his fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Image: Getty

White added: "Only Conor knows [when he’s ready]. 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."

Topics: Conor McGregor, Dana White, UFC

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar