Well, do not expect any kind of return soon from Conor McGregor in the UFC.
The former featherweight and lightweight champion said on Tuesday via X that he has “preliminary agreements” to fight Logan Paul in India. He added that he is not preparing for a fight with the current UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria:
The rumors of a bout with topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 17, 2024
I have agreed.
I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
Jake Paul, the younger brother of Logan, stated that McGregor has “been desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate a fight between us.”
In other words, the contract is entirely dependent on UFC and president Dana White’s approval:
Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor & his management team have been desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate for a fight between us.
— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) December 17, 2024
As we told them them privately & I’m now saying it publicly…the only way we’re willing to explore me vs Conor in a pro boxing / mma fight…
Jake Paul, the younger brother of Logan, stated that McGregor has “been desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate a fight between us.”
In other words, the contract is entirely dependent on UFC and president Dana White’s approval:
If the exhibition with Logan Paul comes through, it will hold a lot of people thinking as to whether McGregor would ever step into the Octagon again.
It has now been over three years since his last UFC fight, a TKO loss against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Even then it was evident that his skills had been fading because his first-round TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 is the last time he won a fight, back in 2016.
McGregor’s now 36 and further removed from his domain when he was one of the top pound-for-pound stars in the sport.
Well, this summer was going to be the grand return for the Irishman after having to wait so long for his comeback, as it was planned to take place at UFC 303. He was to headline the event along with Michael Chandler in Las Vegas.
Instead,
McGregor had to step out just weeks before the event as a result of a broken toe injury. This keeps White in the position of keeping the door ajar for a possible return but with no details or guarantees given. Of course, nothing is set in stone with Paul, and we’ve yet to hear the confirmation from the part-time boxer/WWE star himself on any such plans. However, it seems an announcement today at least provides the outline of Mac’s priorities for the moment—without any aspect of those priorities fitting into the equation with UFC.
