Conor McGregor’s comeback story has stretched across cancellations, injuries, screenshots, and rumblings of spiritual awakenings, but now, for the first time in years, there’s a concrete plan on the table. With the historic UFC White House event set for June, anticipation is building. And at the center of it all is the man who’s guided McGregor through every high and low: John Kavanagh.

The Irishman has been absent from the Octagon for nearly five years. His last attempted return at UFC 303 collapsed after a broken toe, and fans wondered whether he would ever compete again. Yet something seems to have shifted in these past few months, and that is where Kavanagh’s latest update comes in!

John Kavanagh confirms Conor McGregor is “100%” ready for White House comeback

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Kavanagh didn’t tease or stall. He said it plainly, “We’re 100% in.” According to him, Conor McGregor has already asked him to “lay out a program between now and June” and is showing up most mornings “early” and “having fun with it.” The coach even joked that after last Saturday’s fights, McGregor began texting him wildly, as “He wants to fight everybody.”

But one name remains at the front of the line: Michael Chandler. It’s the opponent McGregor has been tied to for almost three years. And for the first time, Kavanagh confirmed the plan is real as he further shared, “But certainly, he wants to get on that card. How it works from a management point of view, that’s between them, so I don’t really get involved in that. But from a training point of view, he’s already tasked me with putting together you know, a team of suitable training partners. We’ll do some of it in the gym, some of it in his house, so he’s fully locked in that we’re going to be making the walk in what is it, six, seven months. ”

That level of detail isn’t casual talk. It’s camp talk. And when the conversation turned to Chandler, Kavanagh didn’t hesitate as he stated, “I think you know, Chandler’s not being quiet about wanting to be that guy, I think the matchup makes sense. I think it’ll be a fun one.”

Asked if he liked the fight, Kavanagh nodded to the chemistry and history between them as he further continued in the interview, “I think they kind of have a bit of a spark between them. You know, they’ve done some stuff together before, I think it’d be a fun fight week, press conference, all of that. Style wise, that kind of shorter stocky wrestler, he’s faced a few of those in his day.””

As such, Conor McGregor appears committed, structured, and most importantly, soberly serious about training again. If all goes according to plan being laid out by his long-time coach, June could mark the Irishman’s first walk to the cage since 2021. Yet, there’s still one man who isn’t sure that ‘The Notorious’ will be stepping back into the world of mixed martial arts!

McGregor’s return claims shot down by Islam Makhachev

Islam Makhachev isn’t buying the comeback narrative, not even after McGregor’s renewed discipline, his early-morning training sessions, or the detailed June timeline laid out by John Kavanagh. When asked this week about the Irishman’s supposed return, the double-champ simply shook his head metaphorically. And his reasoning? It cuts deep into the heart of one of MMA’s most famous rivalries.

Speaking to Complex, Makhachev claimed, “No, this guy is never coming back. Khabib broke his mind, you know. This guy is not coming back. He’s never going to fight anymore. I told this like two years ago, and I still think he’s not going to fight. And now he has disqualification from the anti-doping commission, I heard, and that’s why I think no.”

The Dagestani star highlighted how the rivalry between McGregor and Khabib peaked at UFC 229, where Nurmagomedov submitted him before leaping into a chaotic brawl. Since then, McGregor has fought just three times, going 1–2, with his final appearance ending in a gruesome leg break against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Makhachev sees that decline as irreversible.

So while McGregor reinstates structure, discipline, and silence in his personal life, Makhachev still believes the door is closed, as he claimed, “Maybe, Jon Jones will come back to fight at the White House, but not Conor.” As such, to his coach, the commitment is real, the spark is real, and June at the White House is no longer just wishful thinking. But on the other side stands Islam Makhachev, unmoved by the optimism. To him, the past still speaks louder than any comeback talk.

Which brings us to the question, which version of the future will unfold? The disciplined McGregor preparing for Michael Chandler in silence, or the fading icon Makhachev insists will never return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!