UFC stunned: Conor McGregor declines deal, drops bombshell tease of epic Netflix bout
· Yahoo Sports
One of the biggest names in MMA is closing in on the end of his current contract, with just two fights left before hitting free agency.
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Conor McGregor is finally set to make his return this summer, after more than three years away from the Octagon. The Irishman’s last appearance was at UFC 264 in July 2021 when he suffered a broken leg against Dustin Poirier.
Now, five years later, McGregor will headline International Fight Week, taking on Max Holloway at UFC 329 – a rematch over a decade after their first meeting. Back then, it was McGregor who came out on top in Boston.
And as far as his future goes, he doesn’t seem interested in signing any extensions.
Photo by Leonardo Fernandez/Getty ImagesAriel Helwani says Conor McGregor turned down a contract extension before finalising his UFC 329 return
During his time away from the sport, McGregor has been open about the possibility of fighting outside of the UFC.
He’s spoken about a possible move into bare-knuckle boxing, and as a part-owner of BKFC, he’s already had plenty of involvement in that world.
He’s also suggested another run at professional boxing, where he previously fought Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
However, both those options are off-limits while he remains under contract with the UFC. That might not be the case for much longer.
With just two fights remaining on his current deal, Ariel Helwani mentioned during an appearance on Schein Time for New York Post Sports that McGregor doesn’t seem interested in extending his stay with the promotion.
“This is a massive, massive deal for the UFC and for Paramount+ to get him back in the mix,” Helwani said of McGregor’s UFC 329 return.
“Here’s the big story. This is the big business story. Conor comes back, they didn’t sign him to an extension. They wanted to; he didn’t want to.”
With streaming giants like Netflix and Amazon investing heavily in sports rights, it’ll be interesting to see what kind of interest there would be if McGregor becomes available. But first, people will want to see how he looks in these last two fights.”
The Irishman will face Max Holloway at International Fight Week before presumably making one more appearance under contract between January and June 2027.
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