Conor McGregor says belief in himself is what keeps his comeback alive. NY Fights reported Tuesday that the former two-division champion called self-belief the most important part of his rehabilitation, which is still ongoing as he trains toward a return to the Octagon. What he doesn’t have yet is an official date. In my line of work, no date means no line, and no line means everything else is conversation.
McGregor (22-7) was the first fighter to hold UFC titles in two weight classes at the same time. He won featherweight with a 13-second knockout of José Aldo at UFC 194, still the fastest finish in a UFC title fight, and added lightweight by beating Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. He sits at No. 27 at welterweight in Knockout Daily’s Cagefile rankings, which list his most recent fight as July 11, 2026.
The timing was awkward. Tuesday marked eight years since Khabib Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor at UFC 229 on October 6, 2018. MMA Junkie marked the anniversary on X by recalling the night “all hell broke loose afterward.” That card drew 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, still the most for any MMA event, and McGregor has headlined the five best-selling UFC pay-per-views in history. Those numbers explain why every rehab update from him gets covered like a weather alert.
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The Gaethje wrinkle
The money also pulls other careers into his orbit. On Monday, Daniel Cormier responded to a secondhand report that Justin Gaethje would vacate his belt to fight McGregor. Cormier said he had only “read somewhere” that Gaethje said it, and Gaethje’s comment is unconfirmed in the sources available here. Cormier still didn’t like the idea. “It would harm his legacy to give away the belt & put value in the money fight over being the champ,” he said in a clip shared by Dovy on X, before adding, “Probably was just talking, but Justin’s got options. Arman is a star, there’s Ilia too.”
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That’s the bind for anyone hoping to land the McGregor fight. A champion who gives up his belt for one payday is betting that the payday lasts longer than the title would. Some people would call that smart business. I’d call it a narrative pick wearing a suit.
Until the UFC puts a date and an opponent on paper, McGregor’s self-belief is the only thing on the board. I’ll post a number once there’s a fight to price.
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