Conor McGregor brutally honest on acting future and wasted camps for UFC return

The former champion makes his acting debut in the Amazon Prime remake of Road House

Conor McGregor has admitted he is “unlikely” to act again after making his debut in the remake of Road House, while adding that a “lack of transparency” is still thwarting his UFC return.

McGregor stars alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in the Amazon Prime film, which is out on 21 March, but there is no date set for his UFC comeback – despite his opponent being announced 13 months ago. The Irishman, 35, has expressed a desire to face Michael Chandler on 29 June, but UFC president Dana White has been coy.

McGregor addressed the situation at an exclusive screening of Road House on Wednesday (13 March), with The Independent in attendance, while also discussing his acting future.

After admitting that his filming schedule for Road House was gruelling, and how the process made him appreciate that his fellow cast members “are really good actors”, McGregor said he was “unlikely” to act again.

“It was hard work, and I’m used to hard work, but the schedule was intense,” he said. “I’m not sure if I will go through it again, but it’s in the bank, it’s in the history books. Money can come and go, but this film will be there forever.”

Turning his attention to his UFC comeback, the former dual-weight champion said: “We’re still in the first quarter of this year, talks are ongoing. It’s a little bit of a lack of transparency. I’ve got two fights left on my contract. I don’t think either of us knows what their move will be.

“I just wish to get a bit more consistency with my training. Am I flat out right now? No, I’m not flat out right now, but I have been. I was scheduling for early this year, I was scheduling for January, I was scheduling for December even before that. I had camps set up. I had a camp out in Cannes in the south of France, I had a camp in Dubai also, with some world champions with me.

McGregor at an exclusive London screening of Road House (David Klein Photography)

“I put in a solid camp, and I was well ready. Then you get a lack of transparency, it’s like you kind of get left on ‘seen’. Then I just start losing interest myself, and getting caught up with other things going on – like this as such.

“I just hope to get this done. The movie’s out in [about] 10 more days. Once that’s out, my work is finished. Then I’ve got Paddy’s [St Patrick’s Day] festivities with the Forged Irish Stout and Proper Twelve [McGregor’s businesses] that I’ve got to handle. Once that’s done, I’m boxed away.

“I’m still in shape, I still train. Like I said, I’ve had camps in the off. So, if they just give me a date, I’ll hopefully go with 29 June, and that would be an aim for me. It’s a good three-and-a-half months [...] with the condition I’m in now.”

McGregor (left) with Road House co-star Jake Gyllenhaal (Getty Images for Amazon MGM Studios)

McGregor last fought in July 2021, suffering a broken leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. In January of the same year, the American knocked out McGregor to avenge a 2014 defeat by the Irishman.

McGregor’s last win came in his previous bout, a 40-second TKO win over Donald Cerrone in January 2020.