UFC’s new broadcast partner drops huge hint on Conor McGregor return

Conor McGregor has been used by Paramount+ to promote their new broadcasting deal with the UFC, hinting at a potential return for the Irishman.

McGregor, 37, has not fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in his second straight loss to old rival Dustin Poirier.

He has long flirted with a return to the cage, though, and has expressed a strong desire to fight on the UFC’s touted White House card in the summer.

A backdated 18-month suspension for three absences during attempted drug tests, which he accepted in October, will seemingly not hinder him in this pursuit, with McGregor able to compete in the UFC again from 20 March onwards.

And now, the “Notorious” has appeared front and centre on Times Square billboards in New York promoting the UFC’s new partnership with Paramount+, which will see Dana White’s promotion ditch the pay-per-view model in favour of an all-access subscription.

McGregor shared an image of the billboard on his social media: “It will be my great honour to ‘MAKE UFC GREAT AGAIN!’ Only on @paramountplus.”

McGregor, a former two-division UFC champion, was due to return to the Octagon in June 2024 but sustained a broken toe, withdrawing from a planned fight with Michael Chandler on two weeks’ notice.

The Irishman has previously claimed that long-awaited blow-off bout with Chandler is a “done deal” for the White House card, though nothing has been confirmed by the UFC as of yet.

More recently, McGregor has involved himself in politics, but this month he ceased his pursuit of becoming president of Ireland. He said the nation’s eligibility criteria was a “straitjacket”.

McGregor has also battled numerous legal issues in recent years and, in November, a civil jury found in favour of a woman who had accused him of rape in 2018. McGregor was found liable for assault, and his appeal against the verdict failed in July, but he continues to deny all allegations against him.