"I can push towards it" - Conor McGregor talks about hopefully returning to octagon by "year end"

Conor McGregor is confident he's going to return to the octagon before the end of 2024.

'The Notorious' is fast approaching three years since his last appearance in the UFC, where he suffered a devastating leg break injury during his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier.

Following an extended period on the sidelines after undergoing surgery and rehab, McGregor returned to full contact training in 2023. He was then touted to face Michael Chandler before the end of 2023 as the pair appeared as coaches opposite one another on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter.

Their bout never materialized in 2023, but both men have gone on to state that they expect their clash to finally take place during International Fight Week later this year. The UFC, however, have yet to make any such confirmation.

During a recent interview with talkSPORT MMA's Adam Catterall, McGregor outlined his intentions for 2024.

According to the Dublin native, once his promotional duties for his upcoming movie, Road House, are over, his sights will be firmly set on the UFC. He said:

"I still have two fights left of my UFC contract and we're still only in the first quarter of 2024. I've got this work load on me right now, the promotion stuff, the movie, I've got St.Patricks festivities with the alcohol, but after that it's a closed door...My plan is gym, home, gym, home, gym, home. I hope we get some clarity on a date and I can push towards it. I'm sure we'll get something in by the years end."

Catch Conor McGregor's comments here (4:40):

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Conor McGregor feels 'lucky' to have landed a role in Road House

Conor McGregor recently expressed how it feels to have landed such a big role in what will be his Hollywood acting debut.

Road House, a remake of the 1989 cult classic of the same name, recently held it's world premier and is set for a global release on March 21, 2024 on Amazon Prime Video.

'The Notorious' stars alongside Academy Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal as one of the films major characters, and has also broken the record as the highest paid debut actor in Hollywood history.

Discussing his role in the movie during the same interview with talkSPORT MMA, McGregor discussed how "lucky" he feels to have landed a role in such a major production. He said:

"It is pretty crazy. I certainly am a lucky Irish motherf****r or a lucky Irish son of a b***h because I landed on my feet here with this. This is as high as it gets in the Hollywood game, you know. I've got co-star Jake Gyllenhaal...It's a mega production. And I landed on my feet, I'm a lucky man, lucky man."

Check out Conor McGregor's comments here (0:50):