UFC chief Dana White claims that Conor McGregor WILL return to the octagon ‘next year’ – but admits fears that the Irishman has lost his ‘hunger’
UFC boss Dana White has revealed that Conor McGregor is expected to return to the organization ‘next year’.
White, who was recently appointed CEO of UFC following the historic merger between the UFC and WWE, spoke with Talk TV host Piers Morgan on ‘Uncensored’ to discuss a number of topics including McGregor’s potential return.
McGregor, 34, has not fought since July 2021, when he lost his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier after the Irishman suffered a serious leg fracture in the first round.
Since recovering from the injury, McGregor has been one of the team’s coaches throughout this year’s ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ series.
There were expectations that ‘Notorious’ would face rival coach Michael Chandler once the season was over, but that fight did not materialize and now the UFC chief has provided an update on the matter.
UFC boss Dana White has revealed he expects Conor McGregor to return to the UFC ‘next year’
The Irishman has not fought in the UFC since breaking his leg in a fight in July 2021
Speaking to Morgan, White revealed: ‘He’s back in the gym. He is training and yes, I expect to see Conor fight next year’.
Confirmation that McGregor would not fight in 2023 came in July after he missed the window to re-enroll in the USADA drug testing pool.
“Well this is what happens Piers, you know this, I’m sure you’ve seen this with colleagues and friends and people you know,” White continued.
“Once you reach a certain level of money, to be the person you wanted to become, to be that hungry and work that hard and be that dedicated to the sport, or whatever craft you do, money changes everything , and Conor McGregor has made that kind of money.
‘It’s not a slap, it’s just a fact. When we sold the company in 2016, this was kind of the Microsoft of fighting.
“There were a lot of people making a lot of money, and a lot of people were leaving and retiring or moving on.
‘You have to have a certain drive to earn that kind of money. And you’ve seen guys in this sport, when they make that kind of money, they’re going to fight a lot less, like Conor has done, or they keep losing streaks because once you get that kind of money, you’re not the same person anymore.”
White admitted he fears the Irishman has lost the ‘hunger’ that took him to the top of the UFC
McGregor was expected to fight Michael Chandler (R), but that didn’t work out
In 2021, McGregor was named the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes after earning £144 million ($180 million) over the course of a calendar year.
Since the start of 2021, McGregor has fought just twice – both against Dustin Poirier – in the UFC and was defeated both times.
“Yes, the hunger and the urge are not the same,” White explained. ‘Conor McGregor is a perfect example.
“Everything Conor McGregor ever dreamed of, and things he couldn’t possibly dream of in his life, he now has, and it’s hard to sit on a yacht all summer and say, oh, I’ve got to go back to inside. gym and start grinding again.
“And again, it’s not a slap, it’s the way life is, especially in the fighting business, especially in the fighting business.”
McGregor was previously champion of two UFC weight divisions but has not won a title since his 2016 victory over Eddie Alvarez
In the interview with Morgan, the UFC chief also revealed how his eldest son ignored him for four days after he was filmed punching his wife Anne during an argument at a club in Mexico on New Year’s Eve.
“I mean, everyone acted like there needed to be a big apology to the world,” White said. ‘No, the apology was to my children, to me and my wife.
“No one wants to see their stupid, drunk parents punching each other on TMZ, you know what I mean? Our oldest son didn’t talk to us for four days, and the other kids had to deal with some things too. It’s humiliating.”
Tune in to Talk TV tonight at 8pm to watch the exclusive interview with Dana White and Piers Morgan on Uncensored.