"I do not speak in jest" - Conor McGregor claims a "football franchise purchase" is certainly in his future plans

Conor McGregor has reiterated that he is serious about buying a football club in the future.

The former two-division UFC champion is no stranger to investments. Among his most notable business ventures in the past are the whiskey brand Proper No. Twelve and a clothing line named August McGregor. The 'Notorious' megastar is now seriously considering investing in a European football club.

McGregor recently made headlines after being linked with buying Manchester United. The UFC star also set his sights on Chelsea after Russian businessman Roman Abramovich announced his intention to sell the English Premier League club due to the war in Ukraine. The Irishman then revealed that he's also exploring the idea of purchasing Scottish club Celtic.

According to McGregor, talk of a football club link-up is not just publicity. He firmly sees himself becoming a team owner one day. In a now-deleted tweet, he wrote:

"I do not speak in jest. I am exploring this, as I said. Celtic from Dermot Desmond, Manchester United from the Glaziers, and now the recently up for sale Chelsea football club. All being explored. A football franchise purchase is in my future make no mistake about it." (h/t Glasgow Times)

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Conor McGregor will still return to fighting

Conor McGregor is generating quite a buzz with his football club-owning aspirations. However, fighting is still running through his veins. In fact, he's already got his eyes locked on a few potential next opponents.

While there's still no specific timeframe for McGregor's return, the former lightweight and featherweight titleholder is targeting the 155-pound gold.

UFC president Dana White recently hinted that he's open to the idea of the Irishman receiving a title shot. However, he said he doesn't want to talk about it until McGregor gives him a date.

In a recent interview on My Mom’s Basement with Robbie Fox, White exclaimed:

“The problem is, every time I do a f***ing interview, all anybody wants to ask is, ‘You think Conor McGregor will get a f***ing title shot?’ That’s all they f***ing ask. So, I’m gonna say, ‘Well, Conor McGregor isn’t anywhere near coming back yet, so I don’t know, let’s see what happens.’ It’s a dumb f***ing question for the media to ask, but the media asks dumb f***ing s**t all day, every day. That’s what happens.”

Watch the full interview below:

Apart from the UFC title fight, McGregor also recently called out Islam Makhachev. The Irish superstar blasted the Dagestani's performance against Bobby Green at UFC Vegas 49 and proposed a showdown when he returns to the cage.