'I need to be busy'… Conor McGregor calls for UFC 'exemption' to force fighting comeback as return to the octagon faces another stumbling block
14/09/2024 09:57
Conor McGregor has called on the UFC to allow him to seek fights outside of the promotion despite having multiple fights left on his deal.
The legendary two-weight world champion hasn’t fought since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in July of 2021. He was due to return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler, but was forced out with injury and has since been at odds with the promotion over a new date.
Now, Chandler has been rebooked for UFC 309, where he will face Charles Oliveira in a rematch with major implications atop the lightweight division. And McGregor is calling to be allowed to fight away from the UFC if they refuse to get him a date.
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Conor McGregor wants ‘exemption’ from UFC deal to take on new fights
With his time away from action looking to head into 2025, Conor McGregor is keen to simply get back to some form of activity. He recently took over at BKFC, buying into the bare knuckle boxing promotion, and has insisted that he is a ‘player manager’ with plans to fight there in future.
Now, he faces another wait on the sidelines as UFC boss Dana White claims he won’t be fighting until 2025. In the interim, he has pitched a situation similar to his 2017 crossover boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather, where the UFC would partner with BKFC and allow him to fight outside of the octagon.
"I've two fights left on my UFC contract," McGregor told reporters at the promotion’s event in Florida last night when asked about his plans to compete in the squared circle. "My opponent that I was scheduled to fight has rescheduled another bout.
“I would love maybe an exemption, or maybe a joint partnership, Bare Knuckle and UFC, similar to McGregor Sports and Entertainment and Mayweather Promotions. Some sort of agreement where we can get busy. I need to be busy and right now I'm working to get there. So let's see what happens."
Conor McGregor says he is ‘out of the loop’ on UFC return
With McGregor’s next opponent now heading for a major night at Madison Square Garden on the UFC 309 card alongside Jon Jones, it remains to be seen what is next for the Irishman. He hasn’t fought since 2021, and despite White insisting he will compete in 2025, it is unclear when or against whom.
Even McGregor himself isn’t sure of what’s next, telling the media at yesterday’s event: "I got tested this evening. I got tested today by the Drug Free Sport agency. I'm the most tested athlete on the roster by more than twice the amount.
“I believe I'm maybe tested 13 times, the amount of seconds it took me to finish Jose Aldo. Actually, funny enough, Jose Aldo is number two in the testing. I think he's been tested six times. So I've been tested more than twice all these other athletes, yet I struggle to get a date.
“So, I've talked to Sheikh Turki (Alalshikh), and said, 'Sheikh Turki, can you assist me here?' As far as Chandler rematching Oliviera, I'm happy with the date; it's November. Maybe we can still do it after if they're not going to line me up out till maybe December, January, February – one of these dates.
“Maybe we can still do it. I'm just out of the loop with it, you know? All I can do is carry on, doing what I'm doing. I test under the testing administration, I train daily, and that's it. Let's see what happens. Hopefully, it all comes to fruition."
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