Dana White is confident that Conor McGregor is still keen on a 2023 comeback after the former two-weight world champion declared "the Mac is back".
The Irishman hasn't fought since suffering a gruesome broken leg in July of last year against Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout that forced him on to the sidelines. And he hasn't undergone a random US Anti-Doping Agency test within the last year, meaning that he would be required to do six months of testing before getting back in the octagon.
But he took to Instagram on Friday to declare in a lengthy Instagram post that he is coming back to the cage, which excited fans who have been waiting for his return. However, White remained relatively coy about the situation last night when asked what exactly is next, despite insisting that he is planning a fight in 2023.
"He's been posting videos of himself training and he's just done filming a movie," White told Mirror Fighting after UFC 281 in New York last night. "He definitely wants to come back next year."
McGregor shared a video of himself training earlier this week, including a message about a comeback in his caption. The post, which accompanies footage of him practicing his grappling, read: "S*** hot everywhere. The real GOAT [Greatest of All Time]. There’s not a place I’m not great. Some of your GOATs can’t even kick. Watch my wrist work here.
Who do you want to see Conor McGregor fight in his return to the cage? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below!
"At some points you see my opponent has the illusion of the control of my wrist but I use this silliness to open doors with it. I open the door to go right into full mount. Then later I open the door right to the rib cage for my knee to land flush. It’s using the opponents control of your wrist as a lever. Watch and see can you see. Leave a comment and tag your pal, the Mac is back, with another lesson on defend and attack."
McGregor has a number of potential opponents available to him for his comeback, and he is expected to return at welterweight where he will pursue an unprecedented third world title. He has bulked up to well over 190lb during his time away from the cage, leading fans to question when he would be back or if a comeback was on the cards at all.
He just finished shooting a remake of Road House with Jake Gyllenhaal in the Dominican Republic, and has said that he is now going to work towards another fight. It appears that his training has resumed at SBG Ireland, after he spent a few months focusing on his boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club.
