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Conor McGregor's return to the UFC will take place in 2023. The former double champion will coach season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter before facing Michael Chandler. UFC President Dana White recently revealed the demands made in order for the promotion's biggest star to make his highly anticipated return.
During a recent appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, the promotional frontman stated:
"Conor McGregor was going to coach this season of The Ultimate Fighter and he’s like, ‘yeah, I’ll do it, but I’m bringing two guys that I want to make it right onto the show.’ Then, of course, the f**king media [says], ‘oh, that’s not fair, and what happened to those guys?’ Shut the f**k up. We’ll take care of the guys that aren’t on it, and this is what Conor wants, we’ll give it to him."
Dana White noted that he and Conor McGregor have a great business relationship, adding:
"He’s a great partner. Conor is a great partner to work with. Conor and I have never had a problem. You think about this kid went from nobody knew who he was to one of the biggest superstars in all of sports. You’ve never really seen any real public blowouts with me and him. A lot of times when you get that level of fame and money, it f**ks everything up."
Check out Dana White's comments on Conor McGregor's return below (starting at the 1:45:20 mark):
While many deemed it unfair that fighters were removed from The Ultimate Fighter roster, White vowed to make sure that they were taken care of. One of the fighters removed, Loik Radzhabov, made his promotional debut at UFC 285, picking up a decision victory. Rather than having to earn his contract through the show, the lightweight now has a UFC victory.
Dana White discusses Conor McGregor's return
Conor McGregor's opponent for his return to the octagon has been announced as Michael Chandler. When asked about the weight class of the bout during his appearance on The Pat McAfee Show, Dana White revealed that not much has been figured out, stating:
"Those guys are -55 pounders, but we don't know what we're going to do yet. We’re still working on that and figuring that out. There’s a lot of work to do on the Conor fight still. They’re going to fight. When, isn’t guaranteed. When, what weight class, what are these guys doing. Conor’s filming this season of The Ultimate Fighter with Chandler, but Conor’s still coming back from that shin break."
Check out Dana White's comments on Conor McGregor's return below (starting at the 1:47:42 mark):
It is unclear if McGregor has re-entered the USADA testing pool. The former double champion will need to spend six months in the testing pool while also submitting two negative samples before he is eligible to return to the octagon. 'The Notorious' has not competed since breaking his leg at UFC 264 nearly two years ago.
