In the quiet aftermath of a Newark fight night, the UFC's most famous promoter softened a hope he had voiced only the day before, reminding the sporting world that confidence is not the same as contract. Conor McGregor, who has not stepped into the Octagon since a 2021 loss, remains a figure the sport keeps waiting for, suspended between promise and paperwork. Dana White's careful retreat shows how a return can feel close and still stay unwritten. For now, the story belongs to patience, as a comeback is talked about long before it is booked.
Dana White Walks Back McGregor Comeback Talk: 'There's No Deal Done' Despite Growing Confidence
"There's no deal done with Conor," White said.
Mark
Yesterday White said the wheels were turning. Today he says no deal is done. Which is it?
Mimi
Both can be true. He's drawing a line between confidence and a signed contract. He said he was confident last year too, just less so.
Luke
Worth noting that's his own characterization. We don't know what changed to make him "way more confident." The reporting says that's unclear.
Mark
He mentioned a formula for McGregor's pay. What does that tell us?
Mimi
That the UFC has a standard method, based on average pay-per-view buys, and he says McGregor will do fine under it. He said it's been used with plenty of other fighters.
Luke
But no terms were shared. "Do just fine" is a claim, not a number. And the contract being Paramount-based is all we have on structure.
Mark
Does the tone matter?
Mimi
The article says he seemed relaxed, unlike past years when he dodged or brushed off McGregor questions. That's an observation, not a confirmation of anything.
Luke
Right. Relaxed isn't a fight date. No opponent, no timetable, and McGregor isn't in the announced plans, including UFC Freedom 250.
Mark
So what should a reader watch?
Mimi
The July and August numbered cards, which haven't been announced, with International Fight Week under ten weeks out.
Il Polso
- A day after telling Jim Rome a summer return was in motion, Dana White pulled back at the UFC 328 press conference, insisting that no deal is done with Conor McGregor.
- The retreat jolts a fanbase that has waited since July 2021 for McGregor to fight again, and it stings the hype that had been building toward a summer card.
- White points to a pay-per-view formula tied to the Paramount arrangement, but offers no terms, no timetable, and no opponent to steady the talk.
- With July and August cards still unannounced and UFC's focus shifting to Freedom 250 at the White House, the comeback is drifting, with McGregor absent from every published plan.
In the quiet aftermath of a Newark fight night, the UFC's most famous promoter softened a hope he had voiced only the day before, reminding the sporting world that confidence is not the same as contract. Conor McGregor, who has not stepped into the Octagon since a 2021 loss, remains a figure the sport keeps waiting for, suspended between promise and paperwork. Dana White's careful retreat shows how a return can feel close and still stay unwritten. For now, the story belongs to patience, as a comeback is talked about long before it is booked.
On Saturday night in Newark, at the UFC 328 post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about Conor McGregor and gave an answer that sounded noticeably cooler than the one he had offered the day before. On Friday he had told Jim Rome that things were in motion for McGregor to return this summer. Now he stepped back from that framing, saying there was no deal done. He described his earlier words as a statement of confidence rather than an announcement, adding that he felt even more sure this year than last.
McGregor, a former two-division champion, has not fought since losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and the mixed martial arts world has been waiting on his return ever since. White spoke about money only in general terms, describing a formula based on the average of a fighter's pay-per-view buys and how they perform, a method he said applies to many fighters. He gave no actual terms, no timetable, and no opponent. His relaxed tone stood out against past exchanges in which questions about McGregor drew dismissive answers.
The calendar offers little clarity. The UFC has not announced its July or August numbered events, and attention now turns to UFC Freedom 250, counting down from the White House. McGregor is not part of those plans, which is not unusual for a promotion that often holds back a marquee name to build anticipation. For now the situation is one of stated confidence without a signed deal, and fans will be watching whether a McGregor bout appears on a summer card.
On Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey, at the post-fight press conference for UFC 328, Dana White was asked about Conor McGregor and gave an answer that sounded different from the one he had offered a day earlier. On Friday, White told Jim Rome that things were in motion for McGregor to return to the Octagon this summer. Now, in front of reporters, he pulled back from that framing.
"There's no deal done with Conor," White said. He described his earlier remarks as an expression of confidence rather than an announcement. "I was just saying I'm confident. I was confident last year, too, but I'm way more confident this year."
McGregor, the former two-division UFC champion, has not fought since July 2021, when he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. White, like much of the MMA world, has been waiting on his return since. The source does not explain why White feels more confident this year than last, though he did not rule out a McGregor fight at some point in the remaining calendar.
White did speak about money, in general terms. Asked about McGregor's contract, which is tied to the UFC's Paramount arrangement, he said there is a formula behind it. "McGregor's going to do just fine," he said, explaining that pay can be calculated from the average of a fighter's pay-per-view buys and how they perform. He added that the promotion has applied the same equation to many fighters beyond McGregor. He offered no actual terms, no timetable for a return, and no name for an opponent.
The tone was part of the story, too. White appeared relaxed discussing McGregor's future, in contrast to previous encounters in recent years, when questions about the Irishman often drew a dismissive answer or a sidestep.
The calendar offers little help in pinning anything down. The UFC has not announced matchups for its numbered events in July or August, and International Fight Week is just under ten weeks away. With UFC 328 finished, the promotion's attention turns to UFC Freedom 250, which begins a month-long countdown from Washington, D.C., at the White House. McGregor is not part of those plans.
His absence from announced plans is not unusual for the UFC, which is known for holding back a major name so it can sell as many tickets and as much other inventory as possible and keep fans engaged around a fight. McGregor, as the reporting notes, is a name that can be sold anywhere, and the UFC knows it.
For now, the situation is one of stated confidence without a signed deal, at least by White's account. What to watch is whether a McGregor bout appears on the July or August cards, none of which has yet been announced.
Citazioni salienti
There's no deal done with Conor. I was just saying I'm confident. I was confident last year, too, but I'm way more confident this year.— Dana White, UFC CEO
McGregor's going to do just fine, based on a formula tied to average pay-per-view buys.— Dana White, UFC CEO (partly paraphrased)
Vuoi la storia completa?
Leggi l'originale su Sports Illustrated ↗
Business