Conor McGregor's UFC Career May Be Over – ‘He’s Not Fighting Anytime Soon'

Dana White has cast doubt over Conor McGregor’s UFC future by saying he will not be fighting anytime soon.

McGregor is one of the UFC’s biggest stars of all time, as he helped transcend the sport to a new level. He backed it up in the Octagon by becoming a two-weight champion, securing titles featherweight and lightweight. However, his recent form has called into question his UFC career.

He has lost three out of his last four fights, most recently against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. McGregor picked up a broken leg in the Poirier fight, which has kept him out since then. While he was scheduled to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last year, McGregor withdrew from the fight due to a toe injury. Since then, he has been battling personal issues outside of the sport. 

McGregor was found liable in a civil sexual assault lawsuit filed by Nikita Hand. Conor was ordered to pay her damages and legal fees, which wrecked his reputation. McGregor has also been consistently linked with fights in BKFC, where he is a part-owner, as well as boxing bouts. However, the main issue is that McGregor has two fights left on his UFC contract. 

That would require the UFC to consent to these bouts, meaning that McGregor’s career is ultimately in limbo. The Irishman has continued training during his absence, regularly posting clips on social media. However, that has also been accompanied by clips of him drinking and smoking, going against the lifestyle that is required to be a top-level athlete.

White On McGregor

McGregor has secured his financial future outside of the UFC, raising suggestions that he has lost the hunger. There are no clear match-ups available for McGregor, given that it would not be feasible to put him immediately in a title fight. While McGregor is capable of selling out stadiums and offering massive paydays to other fighters, the UFC is ultimately based on the best facing the best. McGregor is currently not one of those names, despite his huge brand, as White has cast out over his future.

"He’s not fighting anytime soon. I haven’t talked to him in a minute, but yeah, I don’t know. There will never be another Conor McGregor. There will be another superstar that pops up, but there will never be another Conor McGregor. There will never be another Ronda Rousey, there will never be another Chuck Liddell, ‘GSP.’

"Somebody will pop up. They make themselves. A hundred percent. We find people who have talent and obviously if you have the personality that all those other people have that we were just talking about, that’s incredible, but I’m always just looking for the best fighters in the world and the rest is up to them," White said

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