Conor McGregor joined the festivities earlier today (Sat., Sept. 21, 2024) at the ‘Joshua vs. Dubois’ mega-event live on DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) from inside Wembley Arena in London, England, and the former UFC double champion ended up talking about his own fighting future.
In case you forgot, McGregor has been riding the sidelines since suffering a leg injury in his trilogy with Dustin Poirier back in July 2021. That is a massive layoff for any fighter, especially one who has so much else going on outside of the cage. McGregor eventually made a full recovery and was booked to meet Michael Chandler at UFC 303 this past July. Unfortunately, “Notorious” suffered a broken toe and was forced out of the fight.
Despite receiving a lot of backlash for his injury it was the first time in his UFC career that McGregor withdrew from a bout. He’s usually the one taking fights on short notice and accepting any type of opponent just to stay on a card.
McGregor’s long-awaited return hit another snag earlier this month when Chandler booked a rematch against former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for UFC 309 this November. Chandler was not willing to wait any longer for McGregor, but left the door open for a potential matchup in 2025.
While fight fans were hoping to see the Irish superstar compete in 2024, all signs put to McGregor returning next year. He echoed the same sentiment to Ariel Helwani during a backstage interview at ‘Joshua vs. Dubois’ on Saturday. Check it out below:
Conor McGregor tells Ariel Helwani he will be fighting in 2025. Says he would like his return to be against Michael Chandler. pic.twitter.com/s7mkDJfaVW
— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) September 21, 2024
“It’ll be 2025,” said McGregor when asked when he’ll return to fighting. “We’ll see. My opponent [Michael Chandler] that I had scheduled has got matched.”
“It is what it is,” replied the former UFC champion about Chandler jumping ship. “I just take it on board and rock on. My job is to go to the gym, be in the gym, and be in shape. One thing is for sure. Whenever it is and wherever it is, I will be 100 percent ready. That’s all I can focus on right now.”
“I must,” said McGregor when asked if he’s going to fight twice in 2025. “It’s the promised land. We’ll see.”
Helwani then inquired what might be next for “Notorious” after he fights out his UFC contract. The former UFC champion expressed uncertainty beyond next year.
“I don’t even know,” he said. “I don’t think anyone in the space knows. I’m the highest generating fighter on planet earth right now. What happens after this as I’m a free agent I’m not so sure.”