Another year’s worth of UFC events is in the books, and yet again Conor McGregor was nowhere to be seen.
If you’re keeping track, that’s four years in a row now.
McGregor, whose stardom peaked when he became the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion in November 2016, hasn’t competed in the octagon since July 10, 2021 at UFC 264, when he lost by TKO to Dustin Poirier after breaking his leg at the end of Round 1. McGregor’s return to the octagon was plagued initially by his recovery from that injury, but it became more complicated as time went on.
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Why hasn’t Conor McGregor fought for the UFC in so long?
Irish mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor arrives at court, on the day he attends a civil trial on allegations of sexual assault, in Dublin, Ireland November 19, 2024. REUTERS/Clodagh Kilcoyne
For starters, McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has dealt with a plethora of personal transgressions in the last four-and-a-half years – the biggest being that, in November 2024, an Irish jury found McGregor liable of sexually assaulting a woman at a Dublin hotel in December 2018. On top of his list of transgressions, McGregor has devoted significant time and effort to promoting BKFC, of which he became a minority owner in April 2024, and running his Black Forge Inn restaurant in Dublin.
As if McGregor’s personal and professional dealings aren’t enough, skepticism about his desire to fight abounds given the lavish and party lifestyle he constantly flaunts on his social media platforms.
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More: Conor McGregor marries longtime partner Dee Devlin
Will Conor McGregor fight in 2026?
To his credit, McGregor was supposed to headline UFC 303 against Michael Chandler in June 2024, but he withdrew one month before the fight after breaking his pinky toe in training. Afterward, there seemingly was no rush and no interest from McGregor to re-book the fight immediately, putting his fighting future in limbo once again.
With the calendar turning to 2026, there’s one UFC event on the books that makes almost too much sense for McGregor, now 37, to finally return – the White House card slated for June 14. Almost immediately after President Donald Trump announced last July that a UFC event would take place on the White House lawn, McGregor jumped to say he wants to be included. However, he followed up with a $100 million price tag for his services, which casts doubt about the possibility of a McGregor return.
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Working in McGregor’s favor is the fact that UFC CEO Dana White has promised “the baddest card of all time” will be put together for the White House event. And as Daniel Cormier recently pondered, can White and the UFC truly deliver on that promise without the promotion’s biggest star included?
Chandler still believes he will fight McGregor at the White House. McGregor appears to be on board. We’ll just have to wait and see if it comes to fruition.
More: John Kavanagh: Conor McGregor ‘fully locked in’ for UFC return at White House
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Conor McGregor’s next fight: Is 2026 when UFC star finally returns?
