Getty Conor McGregor walks in the octagon before a lightweight fight in Las Vegas. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images.
Conor McGregor hinted Sunday, February 11 that his ideal comeback would take place at the end of UFC‘s International Fight Week in Las Vegas this summer.
A big, pay-per-view show airing on ESPN from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas has been an International Fight Week staple for years.
Such an event in 2024 would take place on June 29; titled 302.
In recent years, Alexander Volkanovski vs. Yair Rodriguez (2023), Israel Adesanya vs. Jared Cannonier (2022), and Dustin Poirier vs. Conor McGregor (2021) have headlined the fight festival.
Now, McGregor seemingly wants to take the main event spot once again.
“Super Bowl Sunday is one of the biggest sporting days for my friends in the States, second only to the Mac’s return to the Octagon this summer,” McGregor posted on X (formerly Twitter) in a post that has since been removed or deleted from the platform.
The post was sent prior to the 2024 Super Bowl, as he wished both Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers good luck.
He added that they should leave something in Las Vegas for him.
This suggests that he’s targeting a super fight of his own in Vegas, and the only pay-per-view events UFC has booked on the horizon for Vegas include UFC 300 for April 13 at the T-Mobile Arena, and UFC 302 for International Fight Week late June.
Conor McGregor Previously Targeted UFC 300
Judging from the Irishman’s recent postings on social media, it appears he’s keen to compete.
Having been linked with a match against American lightweight Michael Chandler since 2023, that seems like an obvious bout the UFC could still book.
“McGregor on 300 seals the deal,” he posted on January 26 on X.
UFC 300 is a tentpole event that is filled with competitive bouts and big names but lacks a main event.
UFC boss Dana White told Heavy and other reporters Friday, after the Power Slap 6 event inside the Durango Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, that the company continues to work on the headline bout as well as one other fight.
It is, at this point, unclear if McGregor would still be in the running to headline that show, if he ever was truly linked to that show, or if the UFC is looking at other big-name fighters or champions such as Israel Adesanya, or Leon Edwards.
One fighter who has ruled themselves out of a UFC 300 spot is the two-weight UFC champion Jon Jones.
The veteran fighter said he was honored to receive a request from UFC to compete but that there was not enough time for him to get ready.
“I’m getting up there in age and I only have a few more events left and I want to give those events my all and make sure that I come back 100 percent,” Jon Jones told Submission Radio on Friday.
Dana White Is Hopeful Conor McGregor Will Fight in 2024
Speaking on the Pat McAfee show, White said on February 7 that the UFC is at least hoping to see McGregor fight “this year.”
He said: “Eventually, hopefully this year. There is no date [right now].”
White later added that he’s “hoping” he could book a McGregor bout “for the fall.”
“[Hopefully] we get it done in fall,” he said.
🚨CONOR MCGREGOR UPDATE🚨
UFC CEO Dana White has revealed they’re hoping to have Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler take place in the “𝐅𝐀𝐋𝐋”
“Eventually, hopefully this year. There is no date [right now].
“I’m hoping for the fall – we get in done in fall.”
Thoughts?