Dana White has given a promising update on Conor McGregor’s prospective return to the UFC, as the Irishman’s desired fight date edges nearer.
McGregor is in talks over a first UFC bout since 2021, which The Independent understands is likely to take place at UFC 329 on 11 July.
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McGregor’s last fight ended in round one, as he suffered a broken leg in a second consecutive loss to Dustin Poirier, and a planned 2024 comeback was thwarted when McGregor sustained a broken toe.
Conor McGregor (left) with Dana White in 2018 (Getty)
Two years on, there is good news about his planned return, however, after UFC president White addressed the matter at a press conference after UFC’s Fight Night in Winnipeg.
Speaking on Saturday, White simply said of a McGregor comeback: “It’s looking good.”
The American soon added: “Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.”
McGregor will turn 38 three days after UFC 329, which will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It is unclear who he will face, but he will likely compete at welterweight (170lb).
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McGregor had originally sought a place on the UFC’s White House fight card on 14 June, but the bout list for that event has been confirmed and – while an extra contest was added earlier this month – it is extremely unlikely that the Irishman will feature.
McGregor is a former dual-weight UFC champion, the first in the promotion’s history. During his prime, he knocked out the legendary Jose Aldo in 13 seconds, stopped Eddie Alvarez in the UFC’s Madison Square Garden debut, and traded wins with Nate Diaz.
He then took a break from mixed martial arts (MMA) and fought boxer Floyd Mayweather in the American’s discipline, losing via stoppage in 2017. A UFC return in 2018 brought a submission loss to bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov, and McGregor has fought just three times since.
He stopped Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in 2020, before fighting Poirier twice in 2021 – suffering his first KO loss in MMA in the first of those bouts, and breaking his leg in the second.
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McGregor has battled numerous legal issues in recent years, including in 2024, when a civil-court jury found him liable for sexual assault in Dublin in 2018. McGregor continues to deny all allegations against him relating to that case.
