Conor McGregor has opened talks with UFC on a new contract.
Ahead of his highly anticipated return to action at UFC 303 on June 29, the former two-division champion revealed that he’s working with the promotion on a possible extension, with hopes that he’ll stay busy for the remainder of the year. McGregor currently has two fights left on his current deal but hasn’t fought since 2021, when he suffered a devastating broken leg in a fight with Dustin Poirier. The Irish superstar wants to get much more active now — and it all starts with his upcoming fight against Michael Chandler.
“June 29, September 5 — Mexican Independence Day — and then December,” McGregor said during a Duelbits live chat about his plans for the rest of 2024. “Three bouts this year. Now, I’ll say this, God willing, because life has showed me sometimes different — with injuries and madness takes place. Please God, three bouts. June 29, Sept. 5, and something tasty in December, end of year.
“I have two fights left on my UFC contract. We’re currently in negotiation stage with the UFC. Let’s see what happens. Let’s see what takes place.”
The September card McGregor referenced is the planned UFC 306 event, which takes place at the famed Sphere venue in Las Vegas.
It’s an event UFC CEO Dana White has spent a lot of money to plan and execute as the first major sporting event to take place at the $2.3 billion arena, which boasts more than 580,000 square feet of LED screens.
McGregor previously called for a fight on that card, with hopes that he could settle his longstanding rivalry with Nate Diaz after they split a pair of previous meetings.
White knocked down that idea almost as quickly as McGregor first mentioned it, but that’s also at least partially because Diaz isn’t actually under UFC contract right now.
Whether it’s Diaz or somebody else, McGregor remains steadfast in his request to fight on that card and then potentially book one more matchup before 2024 comes to a close.
“I’m happy to get one in this calendar year, a fight before my next birthday,” McGregor said. “Very, very happy indeed. Then straight away, I’ll be back in for September. The Sphere is going on and Mexican Independence Day, we’re looking for opponents for that.
“I’d love the Diaz trilogy for that one, I’ve said that publicly. There was water put on it almost instantly, but who knows. Diaz and [Jorge] Masvidal are fighting in a boxing bout. I’m looking for opponents.”
As the biggest draw in the history of the sport, McGregor probably won’t have to look too far to find any number of opponents willing to accept his challenge. First things first, he needs to get through Chandler in June, and then McGregor can start planning for his future.