Conor McGregor has been regularly posting training footage which suggests that he is serious about stepping back inside the Octagon.
Following the UFC’s huge new broadcast deal announcement, Dana White gave an update on whether the biggest star in the history of the sport could be making a return.
White said that McGregor is pushing for the White House card that will take place in 2026 having already re-entered the promotion’s testing pool.
Just days after the UFC boss said “we’ll have to see how it plays out over the next few months”, a new update suggests that if anything, the Irishman’s goal has taken a step back.
Conor McGregor gets removed from the UFC roster as he continues to work towards a return
As Dana White stated, the UFC’s event at the White House in 2026 is still a long way away so any talks of Conor McGregor returning are premature to say the least.
That being said, it does look like he is spending more time in the gym to try and get himself ready for what would be a massive return.
It has been over four years since ‘The Notorious’ last stepped inside the Octagon at UFC 264, where his third fight with Dustin Poirier ended after he suffered a significant injury.
McGregor may be regularly posting about fighting on the White House lawn but a new update from the UFC Roster Tracker has suggested that there are some new complications.
An email sent out by the account, which produces automated updates via their website, claims that McGregor has now been removed from the promotion’s active roster.
While that isn’t to say that the Irishman couldn’t get back onto the roster by making a deal with the promotion, and there’s a chance that an error could have been made, it does suggest that we’re further away him from returning than ‘The Mac’ appears to believe.
Michael Chandler was sceptical about Conor McGregor making a UFC return
If Conor McGregor did make a return to compete at the White House, Michael Chandler could have a lot to gain considering their history with one another.
Unfortunately, ‘Iron’ Mike isn’t convinced at this time that his rival will be making the walk to the Octagon after all the time that he spent away.
Chandler spoke during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show about whether he could finally face McGregor at this event after already speaking to the UFC about it.
“I know I want to fight at the White House, I would love to fight against Conor that’s definitely a platform that would get Conor on the straight and narrow to get focused on getting back into the Octagon… If you’re a betting man, I wouldn’t bet on (McGregor coming back).”
Dana White is sure to be asked about McGregor’s status following UFC 319 in Chicago this weekend.