Conor McGregor: Dana White makes huge return admission which may upset many
UFC president Dana White has once again claimed the promotion can't make any plans for Conor McGregor until after the culmination of his upcoming court case.
Earlier this year, it was understood that the UFC brass were keen on having McGregor make his long-awaited return to the Octagon in the autumn.
However, those plans were well and truly thrown into disarray last month at the UFC 223 media day in New York, where McGregor attacked a bus carrying his fellow fighters.
The Irishman was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief for his latest misdemeanour and will appear in court on June 14 to explain his actions.
And according to White, the outcome of the legal proceedings will determine how the UFC press on with the Dubliner and the lightweight division.
“It depends on what goes on with him in New York in June,” the UFC chief said this past weekend.
He added: “We can’t determine anything until June is cleared up.”
White was supposed to meet with McGregor last weekend in Liverpool ahead of Darren Till's UFC Fight Night 130 bout with Stephen Thompson.
Dana White gives update on Conor McGregor situation
We can’t determine anything until June is cleared up
The meeting didn't come to fruition and will now take place in Las Vegas.
“Conor and I are going to meet in Vegas,” the UFC chief told reporters during the UFC Fight Night 130 post-fight press conference.
“He and I haven’t seen each other since New York.
"We haven’t seen each other, we haven’t talked. Nothing. We need to get together soon.”
McGregor, 29, hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since his historic UFC 205 victory over Eddie Alvarez, a triumph which saw him become the first fighter in the promotion's history to hold two titles simultaneously.
His next fight could very well see him take on Khabib Nurmagomedov, who claimed the lightweight title last month in the main event of UFC 223.
“I’m pretty confident that that is the fight that Conor wants and I’m pretty confident that’s is the fight Khabib wants,” White said during the UFC Fight Night 130 press conference.
“I can see that happening.”
Nurmagomedov is hoping to make the first defence of his lightweight title in the autumn and his sights set on McGregor or former welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre.
“A lot of people ask me about my next fight. To be honest I don’t know," 'The Eagle' said on a live chat.
"I don’t know when it’s going to be. Now we talk about this with the UFC. It’s going to be maybe 9 September or 6 October. I don’t know about opponent; Conor, GSP, whoever. It doesn’t matter, we’ll see.
“Next couple of weeks it’s going to be very fun because now we’re beginning to talk about my next fight with the UFC. I feel great, I feel good.
“Now we have Ramadan and we train only night and feeling good and great.
“My weight is good, my shape is good. I am always training everyday, sometimes I train two times.”