Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) has been itching to get back into action for some time. He hasn’t set foot inside the fabled Octagon since July of 2021 in a trilogy fight versus Dustin Poirier (30-10, 1 NC MMA, 22-9, 1 NC UFC) in the main event of UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV.
During the opening round of the fight, Conor McGregor sustained a broken ankle, resulting in him being unable to progress in the contest and Poirier winning by way of technical knockout after just five minutes. After, McGregor had intended to return to action in June of 2024, almost three years removed from the trilogy contest with the now-retired Poirier.
A planned press conference for McGregor’s fight against Michael Chandler early that month was suddenly called off. The fight itself would get postponed not long after due to “The Notorious” sustaining a broken toe.
Conor McGregor Aiming Summer Return
Conor McGregor has made news in the early part of 2026 regarding his relationship with the UFC. In January, he claimed that his current UFC contract was now nullified in the wake of the promotion’s new media rights deal with Paramount Plus and would be seeking a new deal.
Contract talks between McGregor and the UFC are ongoing and “The Notorious,” who’s still hopeful that he gets a slot on the UFC White House event on June 14, provided an update on Tuesday as far as where the discussions stand at the moment.
“So, I am in negotiations with the Ultimate Fighting Championship about the bout,” Conor McGregor began. “Either [I fight at] the White House or thereabouts. Sometime in the summer, McGregor will return.”
Time (Potentially) Running Out on McGregor’s UFC White House Hopes
With the UFC set to release details on specific fights for the June 14 card this week, time could be on Conor McGregor’s side for appearing on UFC White House. On the other side of the equation, however, his aspirations could be growing shorter by the day, if not by the hour, for landing a slot on this event.
Last month, Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO Group, the parent company of the UFC, made an appearance on ESPN’s The Pat McAfee Show. During the Super Bowl week interview, he revealed that the number of fights to be contested during UFC White House late this spring will be fewer than a typical UFC card.
“There’s going to be approximately six to seven fights June 14,” Emanuel said at the time. He [UFC CEO Dana White] hasn’t said to us what the card is going to be, but I know they’re working pretty hard at it right now.”
Final Thoughts
With a more limited number of spaces on the White House event than a usual show, Conor McGregor may very well be on the outside looking in when it comes to this card. If he secures one of the slots on the June 14 show, it’s front page news.
If that isn’t the case, however, it’s not the end of the world for him. Regardless of who Conor McGregor fights and where and when the contest takes place, it’ll be a long-overdue return when he does make the walk to the Octagon.
He hasn’t fought in close to five years. A long hiatus may soon be at its end.