The former champion says his next fight will happen in 2025.
The MMA superstar hasn’t stepped into a UFC Octagon since suffering a leg break in his first-round loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, and he was scheduled to return to action in June of this year before his fight against fellow UFC veteran Michael Chandler was cancelled due to McGregor sustaining a broken toe in training.
Since then, speculation has abounded about McGregor’s future, with UFC president Dana White stating that the 36-year-old wouldn’t return to action until next year.
On Saturday, McGregor was in attendance at Wembley Stadium for Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois, where he confirmed White’s statement about his return.
“It’ll be 2025, My opponent that I had scheduled, Chandler, has got matched [with former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in November].”
He added: “My job is just to go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape and one thing is for sure, whenever it is and wherever it is, I will be 100 percent ready. That’s all I can focus on right now.”
McGregor has publicly stated that he has just two fights left on his current UFC contract, and on Saturday he committed to staging those bouts in 2025.
What happens after that? The Irish fighter said it’s all up in the air.
“I don’t even know,” McGregor said when asked what he’ll do when he completes his UFC obligations. “I don’t think no one in the space knows.
“I’m the highest generating fighter on planet Earth right now, in today’s space. And what happens [when] I’m a free agent? I’m not so sure.”
While McGregor cannot shed light on his long-term career plans, he did specify who he’d prefer to face upon his UFC return.
Who would you like to see the Mystic Mac face if he returns next year?