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Conor McGregor walks in the octagon before a lightweight fight in Las Vegas. Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images.
Conor McGregor announced Tuesday a two-fight plan for 2024 — and it includes matches to potentially headline UFC’s biggest events of the year.
The news came via a Q&A on his Instagram Stories, when a fan asked him when his next fight will be.
“Still hoping for June 29,” he said, referencing the UFC 306 card scheduled for the end of International Fight Week — the UFC’s signature event of the year at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
McGregor said there is a “lack of action on it,” which caused a “lack of enthusiasm,” however, he did not specify from whom.
“I need a decision soon,” he said.
McGregor Was Right About 1 Thing
McGregor also mentioned that he is yet to receive an actual date to fight, despite the UFC extending apparent offers to other superstar fighters for placement on upcoming events.
Considering the UFC’s struggle to generate hype with a main event befitting of an anniversary show like UFC 300 on April 2, McGregor may well be right when he said, in one of his posts on Instagram Stories, that: “The game is a bit lackluster.”
UFC 300 is filled with good names, but, in an interview with Submission Radio, the two-weight UFC champ Jon Jones said he had to reject an offer from the market-leading MMA firm as they provided too little time to get ready for the show.
Other options according to Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour on February 12 included Leon Edwards against one of Khamzat Chimaev or Belal Muhammad, and Dricus du Plessis against either Israel Adesanya, or Khamzat Chimaev.
None of these fights came to fruition and UFC, instead, booked a light heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Jamahal Hill.
“The game is a bit lackluster also at present which isn’t helping,” said McGregor.
“I hope these next few cards pop and I get a date,” he added.
“Eliminate distractions and begin real work towards it.”
McGregor Said he Wants Fights Against Michael Chandler & Nate Diaz
The opponents McGregor specifically has in mind, he said, are Michael Chandler — a fighter he has long been linked with — for June 29, prior to a third and final showdown against his career rival Nate Diaz.
The trilogy bout against Diaz, McGregor said, would ideally land on September’s UFC Noche event tentatively scheduled to take place at The Sphere — a $2.3 billion high-tech venue featuring a record 160,000-square-foot wraparound LED display inside the building.
“I wish for [the Diaz trilogy] on Mexican Independence Day [weekend] in The Sphere,” said McGregor.
“I have let this be known,” he said.
McGregor’s apparent eagerness to return to the Octagon and fight not just once, but twice this year, runs contrary to what the UFC boss Dana White has intimated.
“Conor McGregor doesn’t need the [expletive] money,” White told Kevin Iole on the veteran reporter’s YouTube channel in February.
“So, when you don’t need the money, it’s not as easy — I mean, Khabib [Nurmagomedov] doesn’t need the money. Khabib retired.”
Regardless of opponent, White has reiterated at numerous UFC press conferences Heavy attended that he is determined to make the UFC’s event at The Sphere so “badass” with custom graphics that he does not even mind if it loses money.
The Sphere, White told us, would also be a one-off venue for the UFC, before it returns to it’s traditional Las Vegas home at the T-Mobile Arena.
Alan Dawson covers combat sports, UFC and golf for Heavy.com. He is a credentialed Las Vegas-based reporter, MMA Journalists Association member, a 4-time Boxing Writers Association of America award winner and International Boxing Hall of Fame voter. More about Alan Dawson
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