Dana White has expressed strong confidence that Conor McGregor will return to the UFC this summer, with the former champion targeting a comeback after a lengthy absence. McGregor has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier.
According to sources, McGregor has been in talks for a July return, potentially headlining UFC 329 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on 11 July. His opponent remains unconfirmed, but he is expected to face a high-profile active fighter.
UFC president White told Jim Rome: “We’re in a great place with Conor. I’m extremely confident that he will fight this year. He’s training, there’s footage out there of him in training right now. He’ll fight this summer. I thought it would happen last year; it didn’t, but I’m extremely confident it will happen this summer.”
McGregor initially sought a spot on the UFC’s White House fight card on 14 June, but White was non-committal, and the Irishman missed out. UFC 329 now appears the likely stage for his return, three days before his 38th birthday.
During his prime, McGregor became the first dual-weight champion in UFC history with knockout wins over Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez. However, since a boxing loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2017, he has gone 1-3 in the UFC, including defeats to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Poirier.
Outside the cage, McGregor has faced legal issues. In 2024, a civil jury found he sexually assaulted a woman in Dublin in 2018, allegations he has consistently denied.
