McGregor targets 2027 IFW return as White says out a year

Former UFC champion Conor McGregor is targeting a return to competition at International Fight Week in 2027, setting up a potential final bout on his current contract just a year after a devastating knee injury cut short his long-awaited comeback. The announcement comes as UFC CEO Dana White has stated the 38-year-old star will be sidelined for approximately a year, highlighting a discrepancy between the fighter's optimistic timeline and the promotion's more cautious outlook.

McGregor suffered a torn ACL and meniscus in his right knee just 69 seconds into his UFC 329 rematch against Max Holloway earlier this month, ending the fight by TKO due to injury. The bout marked his first appearance in five years, following a previous leg break in 2021. In a social media post, McGregor declared his intention to return, writing, "What was to be a generational beating is now to be reset. IFW 2027. The Last Dance." He accompanied the post with footage of himself training.

However, during a press conference following a Zuffa Boxing event, White provided a longer recovery estimate. "We had him on FaceTime tonight ringside," White said, "but Conor McGregor's out for a year." This assessment...