Conor McGregor’s UFC return facing major delay

UFC president Dana White has explained why the former champion is at least six months away from a return to the Octagon

Conor McGregor’s UFC return is not as close as fans thought, with the former champion at least six months away from a fight in the Octagon.

McGregor recently completed his recovery from a broken leg, which he sustained in his last fight – a second straight defeat by Dustin Poirier in July 2021 – and the Irishman was expected back in the ring by early 2023.

However, UFC president Dana White confirmed at the UFC 280 post-fight press conference on Saturday (22 October) that McGregor, 34, is not in the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) testing pool.

Athletes must have been in the pool for at least six months before competing in the UFC, meaning McGregor is unlikely to return to the Octagon before April next year.

McGregor seems excited about his eventual return, though, and tweeted on Sunday: “I’m feeling crazy confident. Calm. Disattached from emotion. Aware of what I must do and making it happen. Visualising. I see it all. Clear.”

The former dual-weight UFC champion then referenced his role in the upcoming remake of 1980s action film Road House.

“This movie wraps, I’m back,” he wrote ahead of his acting debut. “I’ll have multiple fights completed by the time this movie even releases.”

An exact release date for the film, which stars Jake Gyllenhaal, is as yet unknown, though it is expected to come out some time in 2023.