Fighting superstar Conor McGregor is in talks with the UFC about “some funs things” coming “in the near future.” In June, “Notorious” announced his retirement from mixed martial arts and has not competed inside the Octagon since, but many have speculated about a potential return.
During an interview with SportsCenter, UFC president Dana White said that he and McGregor are in talks, but stopped short at guaranteeing the fighter’s return.
White said via The Mac Life, “We’re actually working on some fun stuff for Conor at the beginning of next year. He should be back next year. I’m not saying he’s coming back to fight guaranteed, but we’re talking right now about some stuff.”
McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, spoke with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani about the Irishman, echoing White’s comments. He said, “We had some very interesting talks with the UFC recently. We are excited about the future and working on some fun things. Exciting things to come in the near future.”
Although he has not competed since January, McGregor is still a part of the UFC rankings. He is currently ranked at No. 4 in the lightweight division and No. 10 in the overall male pound-for-pound standings.
Notorious boasts an MMA record of 22-4, with 19 finishes by KO or TKO.
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McGregor Recently Revealed That He Was Still a Part of the USADA Testing Pool
Typically when a fighter retires from MMA, they will remove themselves from the USADA testing pool. If a fighter wants to compete in the UFC, it is mandatory that they are drug tested by the agency.
On September 11, a day before he was supposed to take part in a water-bike marathon across the Meditteranean Sea, McGregor tweeted, “What’s going on here @ufc? USADA have just arrived to my yacht this morning for testing? I’ve retired guys! But go on then, I’ll allow them test me. It’s all natural here baby! Forever and always, God Bless. 180km across the Mediterranean Sea tomorrow! LET’S GO!!”
Notorious did not participate in the marathon from Corisca to Monaco, however, as he was accused of flashing a woman at a bar and was briefly placed in police custody the day of the event. McGregor has adamantly denied all allegations and no charges have been filed at the time of this writing.
Notorious Has Continued to Take Shots at Nate Diaz
If McGregor decides to fight again, there is no shortage of opponents for him. Although McGregor is ranked at lightweight, he competes at welterweight as well, including in his last bout against Donald Cerrone.
And an opponent for Notorious on the top of many fan’s lists is Nate Diaz.
Even though he says he’s retired, Notorious has been active on social media throughout the months taking verbal jabs Diaz, one of his biggest rivals. The two fighters have competed against each other twice at welterweight, splitting the series 1-1.
Diaz, however, has been linked to a possible rematch with Jorge Masvidal for early 2021.
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Conor McGregor in Talks With UFC: ‘Exciting Things to Come’