Conor McGregor Targets April Return, Opens Up About His Struggles

Conor McGregor is aiming for an April comeback in the UFC. McGregor, 35, has been out of action since breaking his leg in his third fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

“That’s the plan,” McGregor said to the media at the Fury vs. Ngannou event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia (via MMA Junkie). “They say April and I’m fine with that. I wish it was sooner, but I have to be honest and realistic with myself and my fans. I need to train hard, recover well, and that’s it. April it is, MMA.”

The former UFC double champ has only stepped into the cage four times since he beat Eddie Alvarez in 2016, winning against Donald Cerrone and losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Poirier twice.

“I’ve been away from my work for almost three years now,” McGregor said. “Think about that. I went through what I went through. I’m dealing with an injury and a defeat. How do you think that feels? You know what Alexander Volkanovski said — I feel the same. I have to get back to my life. This is what I do. So it’s very frustrating and hopefully we can make it happen [in April].”

“I just need the date,” McGregor said. “My date, now. That’s all.”

McGregor’s situation has been tricky as well. “The Notorious” was supposed to fight Michael Chandler later in 2023 after they coached The Ultimate Fighter 31, but McGregor’s USADA status was a problem. McGregor left the USADA drug-testing pool after his injury and has to be back in it for six months before he can fight."