Conor McGregor Not Likely To Return For UFC 300

When former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor rejoined the UFC’s drug testing pool in early October, there was hope that the Irish fighter would be on the schedule for UFC 300, which looks like it will take place in April 2024. That return date no longer seems to be in the cards for McGregor.

According to McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion won’t return to the UFC’s octagon until the summer of 2024.

“We were hoping for April. That was the hope. That was what we were told. And now it seems to be the summertime,” Kavanagh said on a recent episode of The MMA Hour.

“I don’t know [why]. That’s literally what we were having a bit of a back and forward [about] today.”

In late October, McGregor laid out his return plans.

“April,” McGregor told reporters (via MMA Junkie). “They’re saying April now. I’m happy with April. I would’ve loved earlier, but I have to be — if I’m to be honest and realistic, and for my fans, I want to put in a good run, build myself back, and that’s it. It’s looking like April, mixed martial arts.”

The 35-year-old McGregor has not fought since he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 264 in July 2021. McGregor underwent surgery to repair the damage to that limb. Sometime after the surgery he withdrew from the UFC’s drug testing program. Because of that withdrawal, McGregor must submit to six months of random drug testing before the promotion can schedule him for another Octagon appearance.

McGregor is expected to return to action against former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler. McGregor and Chandler coached opposite each other during the recent season of the UFC reality TV show, The Ultimate Fighter.

McGregor is 22-6 in his career. Over his past four fights, dating back to October 2018, he is 1-3 with two TKO losses to Dustin Poirier and a submission setback to then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor’s one win during that stretch was a January 2020 TKO victory over Donald Cerrone at welterweight.

The UFC was asked for comment on Kavanagh’s remarks. The promotion did not reply at the time of publication. This story will be updated if the UFC responds.