Dana White is putting another target window on the Conor McGregor UFC comeback after years of delays and injury cancellations.
White told Jim Rome that the UFC is “in a great place” with McGregor and pushed back on the idea that the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion has already fought his last fight. McGregor has not competed since UFC 264 in July 2021, when his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier ended after McGregor suffered a broken lower tibia.
“I’m extremely confident that Conor will fight this year,” White said. “I’m extremely confident that we’ll get him dialed in and ready to roll. He’s training.”
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Dana White Points To Summer For McGregor’s UFC Return
When Rome asked White for a clearer timeline, the UFC boss did not name an opponent, date, or location. He still gave a direct answer on the window.
“He’ll fight this summer,” White said. “Let me just start there.”
White’s summer claim comes after a failed 2024 booking that was supposed to bring McGregor back against Michael Chandler at UFC 303. The fight was canceled after McGregor withdrew with a broken toe, and the UFC has not announced a completed deal since.
White acknowledged that last year’s expectation did not become a fight, but he framed the current push as more serious.
“Well, I thought it would happen last year. It didn’t,” White said. “I’m extremely confident it will happen this summer. He seems motivated. He’s training, and there are a lot of other great things going on behind the scenes that make me very confident that he will fight this summer.”
McGregor’s resume explains why the UFC keeps revisiting the comeback. He is 22-6 in MMA, became the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles at the same time when he beat Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, and added the lightweight belt to the featherweight title he won by knocking out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds at UFC 194.
The gap is the central issue. McGregor is 37, has not fought in nearly five years, and his last two UFC appearances both ended in losses to Poirier. The promotion has also spent months tied to bigger comeback ideas, including McGregor’s own White House card talk, without announcing a signed bout.
White’s latest update gives the comeback a tighter window, not a finished fight. McGregor is training, the UFC is working behind the scenes, and no opponent has been announced.
