Conor McGregor still has to undergo surgery for his injured leg after his comeback at UFC 329 ended in disaster but that didn’t stop him from already looking forward to his next return to action.
On Friday, McGregor answered questions from fans on social media and despite the time off he’ll need to recover, the former two-division UFC champion made it clear that there’s only one opponent on his mind.
“It has to be Holloway,” McGregor wrote.
Of course, McGregor’s desire to settle that unfinished business is understandable considering the first kick he threw in the fight ended with him blowing out his knee. The fight lasted just 66 seconds and McGregor already stated that he believes the result should be changed to a no-contest.
But McGregor’s wishes may not be granted because it’s just impossible to predict when he’ll be coming back to compete again and Holloway can’t just sit around waiting forever.
“Not even thinking about it,” UFC CEO Dana White told Spinnin Backfist on Friday when asked about McGregor’s request. “Conor still has to have knee surgery and go through everything he’s going to have to go through. I understand he’s very unhappy with the way shit played out but you’re a human being, you’re older, you haven’t fought in five years and Father Time is undefeated.
“So who the f*ck knows what’s going to happen with Max over the next year and what’s going to happen with Conor over the next year?
Holloway already expressed interest in a third fight against McGregor but he obviously walked away unscathed and it’s highly unlikely he’ll just stay sidelined until the Irish superstar is ready to go again.
If McGregor tore his ACL, he’s likely looking at anywhere from 9 to 12 months of recovery but there’s still no word on exactly how much damage he sustained in that fight at UFC 329. That’s why White doesn’t want to make any promises until McGregor is healthy again and tells the UFC he’s ready to go.
“I don’t even think about that type of stuff until it becomes a reality,” White said. “When Conor reaches out and says ‘I finished all my physical therapy, I’m in a good place, they told me I can train full time now,’ we’ll start thinking about what’s next.”
Outside of the fight itself, White also admitted he hasn’t put too much thought in the kind of promotion the UFC would use to build anticipation towards McGregor’s eventual return.
McGregor’s comeback at UFC 329 already produced higher viewership numbers than the UFC White House card but the disappointing way his fight ended might make some fans stay away from his next fight.
But White won’t even begin to speculate what the UFC plans to do with McGregor until he’s healthy and ready to fight again.
For his part, McGregor definitely plans to compete again and he’s also celebrated that his next fight serves as the final bout on his current UFC contract.
“I don’t know,” White said about McGregor’s future. “I’m not even thinking about any of that stuff. It’s so long and so far away, it doesn’t matter.”
