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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 03: Conor McGregor looks on during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter at UFC APEX on March 03, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 03: Conor McGregor looks on during the filming of The Ultimate Fighter at UFC APEX on March 03, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
MMA fans have been craving for Conor McGregor to make his return. Even the Irishman has mentioned many times wanting to come back quickly. However, former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling recently opened up about a theory he has regarding McGregor’s return. ‘Funk Master’ believes that the UFC could be waiting for the transition from USADA to Drug Free Sport International (DFSI).
The USADA’s partnership with the UFC is coming to an end in a few days. On January 1, 2024, Dana White‘s promotion will start working with DFSI. Aljamain Sterling believes this might be the chance for Conor McGregor to come back. Let’s have a look at his opinion on this matter.
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UFC’s partnership with DFSI could benefit Conor McGregor
UFC 300 is not too far away. The event has been announced to take place on April 13th at the T-Mobile Arena. Aljamain Sterling spoke about how monumental the pay-per-view is for the promotion. As such, they could be waiting to announce Conor McGregor’s return. However, the USADA situation may not allow the UFC to do that. This is where Sterling believes the UFC could be waiting for the partnership switch with DFSI.
“They might be waiting for the new transition [USADA to DFSI] and then from there, maybe there will be little bit of an allowance for Conor,” said ‘Funk Master’. He mentioned how Conor McGregor will be able to skip the hurdles that USADA had and may make his return sooner than most people expected. Not only that, but Sterling also believes that his addition to UFC 300 will only add more eyes to the monumental event. He stated, “I’m not saying it’s right. I’m saying if we’re trying to make this a huge card, what bigger fight can there be?” The former bantamweight champion claimed that even he’s ready and willing to pay to see McGregor fight.
‘Funk Master’ claims there is no bigger attraction than ‘The Notorious’
Aljamain Sterling doubled down on the fact that Conor McGregor is the biggest star in all of MMA. He mentioned how Jon Jones not being available for UFC 300 is already a big blow. Hence, adding McGregor’s fight against Michael Chandler to the card will see a huge jump in ratings and numbers for the triple-century PPV. Sterling further stated, “Obviously, Jon Jones is out. But what bigger fight outside of Jon Jones to bring a huge number value to this card other than Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler? I think this is a huge fight.”

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LAS VEGAS, NV – SEPTEMBER 27: Conor McGregor celebrates his win over Dustin Poirier after their featherweight fight during the UFC 178 event inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 27, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The former bantamweight champion also revealed how big of a fan he is of Conor McGregor. Even though he’s scheduled to fight at UFC 300, Aljamain Sterling claims he would happily pay to watch the Irishman fight that night. “I’m gonna pay money even while being in the back room getting ready to watch the fight,” ‘Funk Master’ added.
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While announcing the first three fights for UFC 300, Dana White mentioned that he had some huge fights in mind for the PPV in April. He has yet to announce the co-main and the main events. Fans can only hope to see Conor McGregor back in action as we wait for the official announcements in that regard.
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What are your thoughts on Sterling’s statements about McGregor’s return? Drop your comments below.
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