The “Notorious” Conor McGregor is bracing for a return to the octagon in 2024. The biggest star in the sport’s history will be a money-making opportunity— not just for Dana White and company, but bettors too. Here’s how to bet McGregor’s inevitable 2024 comeback fight(s).
When Will Conor McGregor Fight Again?
The last time we saw McGregor in competition was in July 2021. It did not go well for him against Dustin Poirier. McGregor suffered a gruesome leg break at the end of round one, which forced the early stoppage. He's rehabbed the injury publicly (a Netflix documentary captured it) and we could soon see McGregor fighting again in the UFC.
McGregor submitted his first drug test to USADA in October. Rules state a fighter has to be within the program for six months — and test clean the whole time — until he can compete again. However, USADA and UFC are breaking their contract on January 1, 2024. McGregor might’ve had a hand in the split because he controversially was never tested in 2022 (when he should’ve been) and packed on muscle like crazy (drawing allegations of steroid use). So who knows whether that six-month rule will even be enforced once USADA is out of the picture. This puts a timeline for McGregor’s return a little up in the air.
The most obvious return date would be for UFC 300 whenever that date is chosen (probably around April). That HAS to be UFC’s biggest card of the year, potentially of all time. The promotion went all out on UFC 100 and UFC 200 and we’d expect the same for the 300th show. But if USADA’s policy is to remain in effect, April might be cutting it too close. Summertime might be more realistic, and White has even said so. International Fight Week in July is a card to look out for because the promotion lacks stacking that one too.
At this point, all we can do is speculate on McGregor’s highly-anticipated return. Hell, that’s exactly what the best UFC betting sites have done. They’ve released two betting lines on possible McGregor matchups. Allow us to offer our predictions next.
Best Bets On Potential Conor McGregor Fights?
McGregor will stay in the lightweight division despite looking bigger than ever while away from the octagon. Here’s the two potential McGregor fights being talked about most:
Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Chandler has to be first in line to fight McGregor, right? He was opposite of McGregor as a coach in The Ultimate Fighter. That usually means the two coaches end up fighting afterward. And it sure looks like Chandler is waiting. He hasn’t fought since November 2022 — which is unlike him because he’s historically very active.
The best UFC betting sites have odds out for Chandler and McGregor. To our surprise, it’s actually quite close:
We’ll be upfront: McGregor was already in decline and the injury is only going to accelerate that. This was not just an ordinary leg injury he sustained. McGregor fractured his left tibia and fibula — the same leg that had stress fractures before the injury, per McGregor.
That’s an injury very few fighters have ever recovered from and came back better. Anderson Silva comes to mind, he broke his leg mid-fight too. He fought again (multiple times and is still going), but “Spider” was noticeably never the same. We’d expect the same outcome for McGregor.
Chandler is an absolute steal at this -105 betting line. Not only would we bet it, but we’d put a heavy amount of money on it.
Conor McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje
This fight has odds out because the last time we saw Gaethje, he violently leg-kicked Poirier to win the BMF title. Gaethje used the post-fight interview to call out McGregor and potentially set up a championship match between two excellent strikers. If this fight happens, oddsmakers are much more pessimistic on McGregor’s chances here:
You already know EXACTLY what we think about McGregor’s future so you can probably guess what we’re advising here: take Gaethje. Honestly, we doubt McGregor will last a full round with him. Gaethje has heavy hands and McGregor’s chin just isn’t there anymore. This fight would be an easy KO in our book.
How to Bet On UFC Future Fights?
These potential McGregor bouts fall into the UFC betting futures category. These are unconfirmed fights, but ones you can still put money on for if and when it happens. If it doesn’t transpire, betting money is returned. To get all these bet types, hit one of the bookmakers below. They’ll have even more future fights to gamble on beyond just McGregor.
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