For a while, it felt like the return of Conor McGregor was always just around the corner but never quite real. Now, things seem a little different. Conversations with the UFC are moving forward again, and this time there’s a sense that it might actually lead somewhere.
Nothing has been signed off yet, but the tone around the situation has clearly shifted. There’s even talk of a possible comeback at UFC 329 in July, which would line up with International Fight Week. It’s the kind of stage that suits McGregor, big crowd, big attention, everything built around a moment.
Dana White hints at progress as Conor McGregor’s comeback inches closer
The biggest clue so far has come from UFC president Dana White. He didn’t go into specifics, but he didn’t shut anything down either, which is usually telling.
“It’s looking good,” White said when asked about McGregor’s situation. “Believe me, you know once we get a deal done with him, we will announce it.”
🚨 Dana White was just asked about a potential Conor McGregor return fight:
"It's looking good… once we get a deal done with him, we'll announce it." 👀 pic.twitter.com/vnXodleiET
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) April 19, 2026
That’s about as much as you get at this stage, but it’s enough to get people talking again. Conor McGregor himself hasn’t exactly been quiet either. He’s been posting more from training, hinting that he’s back in a proper camp, and generally acting like someone who expects to fight sooner rather than later.
As for who he might face, nothing official has come out, but Max Holloway keeps coming up. It’s a matchup that already has history, and Holloway has said more than once that he’d be open to it. That alone makes it an easy fight to build if everything else falls into place.
Outside the cage, Conor McGregor has been tying up a few loose ends as well. He settled a dispute with Artem Lobov over his whiskey business and has taken a step back from regular appearances in BKFC, where he’s a part owner. All signs point toward him clearing space to focus on fighting again.
If this comeback does happen in July, it will be his first fight since the losses to Dustin Poirier, including the leg injury that ended their last bout in 2021. There was also the planned return against Michael Chandler that never materialized due to injury, which only added to the stop-start nature of his comeback attempts.
This time, though, it feels a bit more settled. Still not official, still a few steps away, but closer than it has been in a long time. And with Conor McGregor, once it’s confirmed, things tend to move quickly.
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