It's coming close to four years since we last saw Conor McGregor compete in the UFC, and it doesn't look like the Irishman is going to be making the walk to the octagon again anytime soon.
"The Notorious" (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) was last seen in action in July of 2021, when a broken leg cut short his bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He had been set to make his return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last June, but a broken toe put paid to those plans just weeks before the event was due to take place.
McGregor has been staying busy during his time away from the octagon. The Dubliner became part-owner of BKFC, and has also been speaking about his ambition to become president of his native Ireland, talk of which has been amplified since his visit to the White House on Saint Patrick's Day to visit Donald Trump.
Speaking to the media in the aftermath of BKFC 70 on Thursday in Florida, McGregor opened up about the possibility of appearing in the BKFC ring, but also revealed that he has other priorities outside of fighting at the moment.
“I’ve got two fights on the (UFC) contract, I’m in negotiations,” McGregor said when asked about fighting at BKFC. “Last week something happened to me, I went to the White House, and my heart bleeds for my country right now. So, there’s a lot of stuff going on back home, I’m happy with what I’ve done (in the UFC). There’s something else for me that’s in my gut right now and that’s kind of where I’m going. So, we’ll see".
McGregor also revealed that he had recently rejected an offer to fight, although he didn't go into detail regarding the promotion involved, or even the specific discipline.
"Greatness does not rush", he said. "There was an opportunity or a deal, we’ll say, to fight in Alcatraz only recent. There’s an event going on in Alcatraz in, I believe, June. They came to me and it wasn’t my worth. As a fighter, we’ve got to know our worth. I hold every pay-per-view record in the book, I hold every gate record in the book, and my comeback will be slated as the greatest or the biggest, most anticipated comeback of all time. So, it has to be right. Right now, Ireland is in my thoughts and that’s where I’m at, but it will happen, I am sure and it’s always great to be here.”
