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It was a chilly evening in 2021 when Conor McGregor limped out of the Octagon, having suffered a leg injury in his fight against Dustin Poirier. And it was on that day that the great will-he-won’t-he odyssey began, launching the Irish superstar into a new phase of his career: the epic, eternal wait for his return to MMA. Now in 2024, fans are finally coming to terms with an undeniable truth — McGregor’s return is going to be the longest, most drawn-out comeback in human history.
2024: The Year of Chandler?
After months of promises, anticipation, and hundreds of “My body is ready” tweets, McGregor’s return against Michael Chandler was finally "confirmed" in 2023. But just when it seemed like we’d get the match, as Chandler was doing his 100th media interview about the fight that “was definitely happening soon,” McGregor’s Instagram became a showcase of Gucci suits, whiskey bottles, and yoga poses—anything but actual fighting.
The UFC attempted to keep the narrative alive. Dana White could be heard chanting, "Chandler vs. McGregor will happen!" to a dwindling crowd of hopefuls. Yet, every few weeks, something new would come up—McGregor’s toe broke, his leg wasn’t “fully titanium” yet, or Chandler’s training camp was disrupted by rogue leprechauns. The world began to accept the truth: this fight was slipping into myth, alongside the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot.
The Predictions for 2025 and Beyond
By 2025, experts predict that McGregor will continue his streak of almost making it to the Octagon. We’ll get more riveting content of him training in exotic locations, flexing his notorious left hand at mirrors, and taunting the likes of Michael Chandler, Islam Makhachev, and perhaps even Nate Diaz... again.
The buildup for these fights will continue as one of UFC’s greatest marketing triumphs. Press conferences, promotional tours, and staredowns—oh, the staredowns! Expect an entire trilogy of face-offs before any actual fighting happens. Perhaps there will even be a Netflix series chronicling the non-fight saga: “McGregor vs. The Calendar: A Legacy Delayed.”
However, fans should be warned: each of these planned fights will either be delayed, postponed, or canceled entirely. Conor might get “stuck” in a champagne-fueled spiritual retreat or possibly join NASA’s MMA program, taking his octagon skills to the Moon.
The 2030 “Not Yet” Era
By 2030, when Dana White has replaced his mortal body with an AI hologram and Elon Musk has introduced Space Fight Night (sponsored by Proper 12 Whiskey), McGregor’s return will still loom on the horizon. Rumors will swirl that he’s close—this time for real—to fighting Chandler, or some other unlucky soul who has spent an entire decade preparing for an opponent who might never show up.
Chandler, by then sporting a full beard that reaches his knees, will still be doing open workouts for a fight that’s “just around the corner.” UFC fans will have experienced every possible version of disappointment, from false weigh-ins to virtual reality simulations where we almost see McGregor walk out.
2050: The Legend Grows
Fast forward to 2050. The McGregor vs. Chandler fight is now considered folklore. People will gather around campfires to tell the tale of how almost—so very nearly—Conor McGregor fought Michael Chandler, but instead opened a chain of gyms, became a whiskey billionaire, and was spotted giving motivational speeches to seals off the coast of Greenland.
MMA fans will pass on the story of how, every few years, McGregor was supposed to make his grand return. And maybe, just maybe, in 2050, holographic McGregor will take on a still-living Michael Chandler in a fight beamed directly into our retinas—though even that will probably get delayed for a “minor” toe injury McGregor sustained while wrestling a bear for an Instagram post.
A Future Without Fighting… or Is It? Conor McGregor
In the end, McGregor’s return to the cage has become something bigger than fighting. It is a symbol of eternal hope, a dream that keeps us all guessing. Sure, maybe we’ll never actually see him fight again, but what’s more exciting than an endless buildup, a never-ending stream of social media teases, and the constant wondering: Will it be this year? Will Conor finally return?
No. No, he won’t. Fight.TV is here for it!
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