Conor McGregor has demanded a meeting with TKO CEO Ari Emanuel before he agrees to return to the octagon. The Irishman has not fought since suffering a leg injury in his 2021 defeat to Dustin Poirier, and his planned comeback against Michael Chandler in 2024 was scrapped due to injury.
In a quickly-deleted post on X, McGregor responded to news of Emanuel's upcoming memoir, writing: 'That's a must read! I won't come back until me and Ari chat.' The 37-year-old has a close relationship with UFC president Dana White but now wants to negotiate directly with the head of TKO Group Holdings, which owns the UFC and WWE.
McGregor's ultimatum comes as the UFC prepares for a potential White House event, which US President Donald Trump announced last July. The former dual-weight champion had expressed interest in fighting on that card, but his return was complicated by a ban after missing three drug tests in 2024. He is now free to fight from March 20.
Despite losing three of his last four fights, McGregor remains a major draw. His last win was a 40-second knockout of Donald Cerrone in 2020. He recently posted training footage from SBG gym in Ireland, declaring: 'Camp 100%. I am going into this fight 100 per cent Conor McGregor.'
