By UFC President Dana White has confirmed that Conor McGregor will not be fighting in 2024. McGregor, who was anticipated to make his comeback at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler after a severe leg injury sustained at UFC 264, will now be sidelined until 2025. Although McGregor had previously indicated he would return sooner, including with a planned fight against Chandler, he recently encountered a toe injury that caused him to withdraw from the fight.
During a media event for the Contender Series, White stated that he has been in communication with McGregor, who is still eager to fight but will not do so this year. White explained, “We talked. We didn’t meet up but we talked, and yeah, he wants to fight. So we’ll figure it out. But not this year. He won’t fight this year.”
This announcement conflicts with McGregor’s earlier assertions about his return timeline. Throughout 2023 and early 2024, McGregor had announced various return dates, all of which were later refuted by White. Chandler, who has been waiting for McGregor to return since 2022, now faces uncertainty about his next fight.
In response, McGregor quickly challenged White’s statement, declaring, “Ah Dana, December is the date! Bring the calendar year home with a winning event! Come on now, what’s this? I am off to altitude next month to prepare. DECEMBER! Tell Dana and UFC WE WANT DECEMBER! WE DESERVE DECEMBER!”
