Dana White casts doubt over Conor McGregor's claim his UFC return is 'all systems go'

UFC boss Dana White has cast doubt over Conor McGregor's claim that his return to the octagon is all but finalised.

McGregor, 35, has not fought since his defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July, 2021.

The former two-weight world champion lost his trilogy fight with Poirier after suffering a sickening leg break in the first round of the bout, an injury which delayed his return to the sport.

He is expected to make his comeback this summer against Michael Chandler, although the fight is yet to be fully confirmed.

Speaking earlier this week, McGregor claimed the UFC had approved the fight and he is ready to return.

"We got confirmation a few days ago that it's all systems go," McGregor told ESPN.

"'The Mac,' 'The Notorious' will be returning to the UFC octagon this summer."

However, UFC president White has since cast doubt over those claims.

He claims nothing has been agreed and has been waiting for McGregor to finish his promotional tour for the film Road House - in which the Irishman makes his acting debut - which was released on Thursday.

Speaking on the Pound4Pound podcast, White said: "There is no lack of communication. You know where Conor is tonight? He is in New York for the premiere of Road House.

"He has obligations to promote this movie. He has been flying all over the world, going to all the premieres to promote this movie. This is an obligation that he has to do.

"He committed to this movie and has obligations. He can't do both. Once this movie launches, then he can get back in the gym and start training full-time."

White went on to seemingly question whether McGregor has the "hunger" to return to MMA after such a long period of inactivity.

"Once you start to make a lot of money, you're not as hungry as before," added White.

"It's harder to get in the gym. It does suck to f***ing grind as hard as you used to grind, and it is harder to stay on top once you've made that kind of money.

"Then you think about the kind of money Conor has made. This dude is living on legit yachts for months.

"For a guy that had never done big business, he's a pretty good businessman. He's been a great partner to us so I like to be a good partner back. He needed this time to handle his obligations and now get back into full-time training.

"Which means, from Thursday on – we can start talking about fights for Conor."

Topics: UFC, Conor McGregor, Dana White, MMA

Rory O'Callaghan

Rory O'Callaghan is Editorial Lead at SPORTbible. He has previously worked for Sky Sports News, MailOnline and Reach covering football, cricket, boxing and MMA. Tested daily as a Liverpool fan in a Manchester office.

@rory_ocallaghan