Conor McGregor is arguably the biggest star the UFC has ever produced. The Irishman was able to attain global popularity like no one else in the UFC. However, he has been out of the octagon since 2021 after suffering a nasty injury in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.
Since then, there have been multiple instances where McGregor’s return was teased, none of which have come to fruition yet. Back in 2024, his fight against Michael Chandler was even announced before being cancelled. As a result, there has always been a big question mark surrounding the Irishman’s return. Interestingly, 2026 could be the year we finally see him back in the octagon. McGregor has been quite vocal of late about being in camp and awaiting an offer from the UFC.
Moreover, he was keen on fighting at the UFC Freedom 250 event, which is set to take place in June at the White House. However, the fight card for the event was recently announced, and he was nowhere to be seen.
Is there a fight in the works for Conor McGregor?
Michael Chandler seemed to be the most likely opponent for Conor McGregor upon his return. However, Chandler is set to fight on the UFC White House card against Mauricio Ruffy. This completely rules out the possibility of Chandler vs McGregor.
It is also worth noting that having the Irishman fight anywhere on the card apart from the main event doesn’t make sense. As a result, it is safe to say that McGregor would most likely headline an event upon his return.
Moreover, Dana White has claimed that they are in constant communication with Conor McGregor. While his return still looks a bit far off, White’s stance has seemingly confirmed that the former double UFC champion should be back in the octagon this year.
🚨 Dana White says they are in negotiations with Conor McGregor but are "not even close" to a timeline for his return 😬
"We are definitely talking to Conor." pic.twitter.com/wUk583XDk9
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 8, 2026
What remains to be seen is the opponent that would go up against McGregor. While fans are eager to see a trilogy fight between the Irishman and Nate Diaz, it looks like he might fight Charles Oliveira for the BMF title. That said, it would be interesting to see how McGregor’s return pans out in the coming months.
