Conor McGregor has seemingly confirmed the date of his UFC return after months of speculation about his future. The Irishman last set foot inside the octagon in a losing effort to Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
Although McGregor suffered a broken ankle in the bout, it was his third loss in his last four outings. Despite this, the former double champ remains a huge draw in the sport and fans have been itching to see him back in the UFC.
After coaching a full season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ opposite Michael Chandler, talk of a bout this year came and went. Fighters are required to spend six months in the USADA testing pool before they can compete, which McGregor hasn’t since his injury. However, the Notorious one took to X, formerly Twitter, to share news that his return has in fact been officially approved.
McGregor shared what appeared to be a screenshot of UFC Fight Pass with UFC 296: Chandler v McGregor. The reported fight card, which is not published on the official UFC website, is set to take place on December 16.
While he has just obtained his black belt in BJJ and videos of his training appear more and more, Conor McGregor is preparing his return well.
There was talk for a while of a return at UFC 296 in December, but that was denied by UFC boss himself, Dana White. McGregor has not fought since July 2021 when he lost by doctor’s stoppage to Dustin Poirier. Result ? Fractured tibia and a long period of rest and rehabilitation.
Now, it’s Ciaran Clarke, of Bellator, and McGregor’s teammate at SBG Ireland, who has given information on his potential return (via All Out Fighting):
“Conor McGregor is sharp. He just received his black belt in jiu-jitsu, which is well deserved because of his moves and everything else. And like I said, his mind, his mind for fighting… he’s so mentally sharp. »
