Home

UFC

Ignoring Dana White’s Six Month Ban, ‘264lbs’ Conor McGregor Confirms He’ll Make His Return ‘Early 2023’

Published 10/28/2022, 11:00 AM EDT

Follow Us

via Imago

Conor McGregor is arguably the most noted star of MMA. He is a former two-weight-division champion of the UFC, a feat very few have been able to acquire. McGregor’s ‘sniper’ left-hand strikes are one of the most feared weapons in the entire UFC. Recently, UFC President Dana White’s announcement also said that ‘Mystic Mac’s’ fans will have to wait for at least six months more to watch him fight once again.

In the post-event press conference of UFC 280, the boss, Dana White, came before the media. The conference also included questions about, McGregor’s return to the Octagon.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Conor McGregor is chilling out and buffing up

McGregor’s social handles are loaded with cryptic posts that say that he will soon be returning to the Octagon. But, despite his posts, McGregor is busy shooting for his first silver-screen appearance.

Trending

Get instantly notified of the hottest UFC stories via Google! Click on Follow Us and Tap the Blue Star.

Follow Us

His social media handles also contain a few videos where ‘The Notorious One’ could be seen having fun and partying. Of late, the Instagram page ‘themaclifeofficial’ shared a video of McGregor. The video showcased him in an online live session. McGregor also interacted and replied to fans in the video.

The noted Cuban UFC fighter, Yoel Romero, was also seen commenting on McGregor’s live video. ‘Mystic Mac’ read out Romero’s comment, “How much am I [McGregor] weighing right now”.

McGregor replied in a gleeful tone, I don’t know dude”. He continued,I don’t know mate, but I’m big, big anyway.” 

via Getty

After a few seconds, McGregor also said, Let’s check it out”. A fan commented, “264lbs”. It visibly impressed ‘Mystic Mac’ as he stated, “Let’s hear it about 265 yeah. In the bank, Super heavy in the bank”.

McGregor had also said that he was looking to make his comeback in “early 2023”. He stated, “I’ll be back soon”. ‘The Notorious’ further clarified, “Sometime in that first quarter”.

Yet after all these discussions and speculations, fans get to know that they’ll have to wait for at least six months more for McGregor’s return.

Dana White confirmed the compulsory delay in McGregor’s return

Talking to the press at the post-UFC280 press conference, Dana White answered a reporter, who questioned, “It appears that Conor McGregor hasn’t been tested this year. So would he have to complete six months before he can compete?”

White replied, “Yeah. Yeah”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Previously, a lot of other UFC fighters had criticized the USADA for excluding Conor McGregor. Despite McGregor’s current leave from the Octagon, he was still expected to be in the testing pool of USADA. The USADA had previously clarified that any athlete must provide at least two negative samples before returning to competition.”

Watch this Story – Conor McGregor responds to Islam Makhachev win and Petr Yan loss at UFC 280 

USADA had also stated, In the event of an athlete’s return to the UFC, they are required to remain in the USADA testing pool for six months before they are permitted to compete”. McGregor hadn’t gone through a USADA test in the entire year of 2022. White also continued, “Similar to World Anti-Doping Agency rules, the UFC may grant an exemption to the six-month written notice rule in exceptional circumstances.”

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

This means that even if Conor McGregor applies to fight through a written notice right now, he will still be required to stay under the vigilance of USADA for at least six months. If he clears all the tests, then only he will be provided a clean chit to step inside the Octagon once more.

 

SHARE THIS ARTICLE :

Written by:

Souvik Roy

1,315Articles

One take at a time

Souvik Roy is currently a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. An avid UFC follower, Souvik combined his love for the sport and his passion for words to turn his interest into his Livelihood. A Diploma holder in Electrical Engineering, Souvik has worked as a Freelance Link Builder and Content Writer previously and wrote for various clients and businesses.
Show More>

Edited by:

Vineet Nandwana