Is ‘Mac’ really back? That’s been the vibe ever since Conor McGregor began making serious moves toward his long-awaited comeback. First, ‘The Notorious One’ re-entered the drug testing pool, confirming that a return to the Octagon was truly on his mind. Then, he completed another testing session to prove his commitment. Things looked even more promising when McGregor started sharing training videos from his yacht, showing renewed focus and determination. So far, every sign suggests that the Irish superstar’s return is getting closer to reality, and it’s getting even better.

During the recent BKFC 82 media round-up, McGregor took some time to discuss his plans for next year’s highly anticipated return. He said, “I have eight months and change out to the White House event. It’s a six-month operation. I consider it a six-month operation to get ready for this bout.” With that statement, the former two-division champion sounded fully locked in for his bout against Michael Chandler next year. As if that wasn’t confirmation enough, McGregor appears to be stepping away from social media to focus entirely on his preparation.  

Conor McGregor bids goodbye to his social media followers

Conor McGregor recently uploaded a picture of himself on Instagram with the caption, “Hey folks online, I’m out of here for a bit, see you again soon! My love, unwavering! Thank you all ❤️🙏☘️.” While ‘The Mystic Mac’ didn’t explicitly say he was stepping away from his 46.5 million Instagram followers to focus on training, his determination and six-month preparation plan make it a reasonable assumption. If true, this move marks a monumental shift from the McGregor we’ve come to know in recent years. However, there might be another, more personal reason at play here. 

During the BKFC press conference, the Irishman openly admitted, “And to be honest, maybe it did break me. As I went on and achieved massive success and global, otherworldly superstardom. It overcame me at times.” With that confession, the UFC superstar revealed how the weight of fame and global recognition can become overwhelming. Perhaps that’s why he’s decided to step back from the spotlight for a while and refocus on the thing he loves the most, which is training in MMA. But that’s not all.

A few days ago, the 37-year-old told Fox News’s Sean Hannity, “It’s a done deal, signed, delivered. It ain’t a negotiation. It’s a done deal, signed, delivered.” Naturally, that statement sent waves through the MMA community, with many believing his comeback was officially locked in. However, Dana White soon revealed a very different story.  

Dana White dismisses ‘The Notorious One’s deal-signing claims

After Conor McGregor announced that his deal for the UFC White House fight was finalized, many fans began asking an important question. Why hadn’t Dana White confirmed it? Well, the UFC boss has finally cleared the air. According to him, negotiations haven’t actually begun and won’t start until February of next year.

At the UFC 320 post-fight press conference, White said, “We are still talking about the production and how everything is going to work at the White House. We have not started negotiating any fights for the White House yet, that won’t start until February.” Stating that, the UFC CEO also acknowledged that McGregor likely made his statement out of sheer excitement and motivation to compete on the American Independence Day card.

White has already hinted that ‘The Notorious One’ is indeed his top choice to headline the event, not Jon Jones. So, despite the slight communication gap, it seems there’s no bad blood between them. Still, the White House event is quite a while away, and plenty could change before then.

That said, do you believe Conor McGregor will actually headline the event against Michael Chandler next year? And if so, should their fight be placed above the championship bouts expected on the card? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.