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Topics: Conor McGregor, UFC
Nasir Jabbar
Conor McGregor's legendary UFC career has reached a new low ahead of his eagerly-awaited comeback in 2023.
The 34-year-old has been out of action since July 2021 when he suffered a crushing first round defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
He broke his leg against Poirier, but the Irishman is closing in on his Octagon return having recovered from the serious injury.
McGregor has no shortage of viable opponents waiting for him in the wings, with the likes of Michael Chandler and Rafael dos Anjos hoping to welcome him back to the cage.
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But the 'Notorious' will return to competition without a number next to his name as he has DROPPED out of the UFC lightweight rankings.
He's no longer in the top 15, though he is in pool of UFC athletes eligible to be ranked by the panel.
Grant Dawson takes McGregor's spot, entering the UFC lightweight rankings in at No.14.
Islam Makhachev sits at the top of the rankings as UFC lightweight king champion ahead of former title holder Charles Oliveira.
Poirier, Justin Gaethje, Beneil Dariush and Michael Chandler make up the top five.
Rafael Fiziev, Mateusz Gamrot, Dos Anjos, Arman Tsarukyan and Jalin Turner are ranked sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth respectively.
Dan Hooker, Damir Ismagulov, Renato Moicano, Dawson and Tony Ferguson are also ranked in the top 15.
McGregor, meanwhile, could still earn a UFC title shot in his next fight. He had been rumoured to face Chandler, who's also coming off a defeat to Poirier.
But Dana White dismissed claims he had said McGregor vs. Chandler is happening next year.
"I never said that, ever f**king once," he said in his UFC 282 post-fight press conference. "This is what happens when you do interviews and people listen to your interviews.
"They said, 'So, if Conor McGregor came back right now, who would you be looking at as an opponent?' I said, 'Well, if he did, if that happened, and that scenario played out right now, Chandler would be a fun fight.'"
He added: "Never f**king once did I say Conor McGregor vs. Chandler. I don’t even know when Conor McGregor’s coming back.
"And this is why I don’t like to answer these kinds of questions.
"Because some f**king idiot somewhere on the Internet puts out that that’s what I said, and it’s not even remotely close to what I said."