Conor McGregor wants back in the Octagon in 2027. DAZN reported this week that the Irish star is targeting a comeback next year, and that lines up with what McGregor has said several times himself: he plans to finish the last fight on his UFC contract in 2027, ideally as soon as International Fight Week, which typically falls in July.
Nothing has been offered. Nothing has been booked. For McGregor, that’s been the default setting for years.
The last attempt ended fast. McGregor finally made his return against Max Holloway at UFC 329 this past July, his first fight since 2021, and it lasted 69 seconds. He was clearly compromised by a knee injury, and referee Mike Beltran stepped in to save him. He has since had ACL reconstruction surgery.
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Dillon Danis, a longtime friend and training partner, gave MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck an update this week and didn’t sugarcoat the aftermath. After five years away, the biggest comeback of his life fell apart in about a minute. “He was in a dark place,” Danis said, adding that anyone would be. Danis kept the specifics of their conversations private but said McGregor’s head is in a much better spot now. According to Danis, McGregor has isolated himself in Los Angeles to rehab the knee and is doing all the exercises. “He has a 24/7 nurse with him.”
Danis also said he speaks to McGregor nearly every day. “I talk to him almost everyday and he’s in a good spot right now and I’m happy to see it.”
The Floyd factor
The contract detail is the part worth circling. McGregor, 38, has one fight left with the UFC, and once it’s done he becomes a free agent. Floyd Mayweather noticed.
On the PBD Podcast, Mayweather accused McGregor of carrying his whole swag over to the UFC, then floated a sequel to their 2017 boxing match, which Mayweather won by TKO in Round 10 to finish 50-0. “Actually, I think me and Conor McGregor may lock up again,” Mayweather said. He also took a shot at the injury, pointing out that McGregor hadn’t hurt his hands: “OK, we’re going from the shoulders.”
That first fight paid a disclosed $100 million to Mayweather and $30 million to McGregor. For context, McGregor’s biggest disclosed UFC check was $3 million for the 2016 Nate Diaz rematch. Mayweather claims he actually cleared around $300 million. MMA Fighting even polled its followers on X about interest in a rematch, which tells you how seriously the business side is taking a 49-year-old’s podcast comments.
My take: a July 2027 target gives McGregor roughly a year after his ACL surgery, which is a real timeline and not a fantasy one. But a guy who sat out five years and lasted 69 seconds on his return needs to show up healthy on fight week before anybody prints posters. And once he’s a free agent with Floyd waving a checkbook, the UFC’s final fight starts looking a lot like a contractual obligation he’s clearing on the way to a payday in a boxing ring.
