16 August 2023 , 09:33
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Conor McGregor has failed to meet his self-imposed deadline to announce his UFC comeback officially as last night's episode of The Ultimate Fighter came and went.
The Irishman has continuously claimed that he will return to the octagon after over two years this December, with rival coach Michael Chandler his opponent after a lengthy build-up. But questions remain as the bout is still unannounced, with the American unable to confirm anything further during a slate of interviews yesterday.
Back in May while speaking to Mirror Fighting in a media scrum at his Dublin pub The Black Forge, McGregor declared that the official announcement would arrive during an episode of TUF, which at the time was days out from airing. But the entire show has now come and gone without that comeback being made legitimate.
The key issue that appears to be holding up proceedings is the status of his drug testing with the US Anti-Doping Agency. He needs six months in their pool and two negative tests before he is eligible to fight, but it remains to be seen if he has re-entered or not after 'retiring' while he recovered from a broken leg suffered against Dustin Poirier over two years ago.
At the time, UFC legend Chael Sonnen had speculated that June 1 was the date for his return, and when quizzed about if that were the case he responded: ."That's done, my man. That's done. Year end, I'm back in that cage having competed. I'm gearing up ready to go.
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"Michael Chandler, yeah. It will be announced during The Ultimate Fighter. So The Ultimate Fighter is airing now in a couple of days on ESPN, and by the time that show finishes we'll have a date and everything set for the fans."
However, the season is now over - with the finals match-ups taking place on Saturday night, and no announcement has been made. Chandler is expected to be at UFC 292 in Boston where bantamweights Brad Katona and Cody Gibson square off alongside lightweights Kurt Holobaugh and Austin Hubbard, but is unsure if McGregor will join him.
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The Irishman has been on a whirlwind holiday of sorts over the last few months, with his latest stop in London on Saturday night for Anthony Joshua's fight with Robert Helenius. He was drinking pints of his Forged Irish Stout on the night, but has since taken to Instagram with a post that indicates he may be entering fight camp, finally.
He shared a series of photos yesterday showing himself engaging in drills that include pad work and skipping, with a caption that excited his fans. A simple hashtag "Day 1 of training" accompanies the pictures, ideally indicating that an announcement is imminent for a comeback.
McGregor's teammate both on the show and day-to-day at SBG Ireland Brad Katona is a finalist on Saturday after switching sides following an unprecedented bad run from the Irishman. But it remains to be seen if he will be in attendance at the TD Garden in Boston to confirm a date with Chandler.