Conor McGregor promised an announcement would be coming “very soon.”
In order for “Notorious” to make his UFC return, which continues to get delayed as the weeks drag on, the former lightweight champion will first have to submit to six months of clean drug testing under the watchful eye of “garbage” USADA.
Sounds like that process is well underway.
“That’s done, my man,” McGregor said during today’s Katie Taylor media scrum (via Mirror Fighting). “That’s done. Year end, I’m back in that cage having competed. I’m gearing up, ready to go.”
I’m not sure “gearing up” is the right way to phrase it, based on these allegations.
McGregor, who turns 35 in July, was lured back to combat sports as head coach of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 31, which airs on ESPN at the end of the month. That’s when “Notorious” expects the promotion to announce a date for his Michael Chandler fight.
“Iron” will be serving as fellow head coach on TUF 31.
“Michael Chandler, yeah. It will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter,” McGregor revealed. “So The Ultimate Fighter is airing now in a couple of days on ESPN, and by the time that show finishes we’ll have a date and everything set for the fans.”
Nothing is official at this time, but the current timeline — assuming McGregor has in fact begun testing — puts “Notorious” atop the promotion’s year-end pay-per-view (PPV) card in Las Vegas, where the power-punching Irishman can return to his “Mac Mansion.”
Stay tuned.