Dana White addresses timing of Conor McGregor return announcement

Matthew Wells, MMA JunkieSun, May 24, 2026 at 6:00 PM UTC

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Dana White addresses timing of Conor McGregor return announcement

Dana White says the announcement timing of Conor McGregor's return had nothing to do with stealing shine from Most Valuable Promotions' first MMA event on Netflix.

While rumors of McGregor returning to take on Max Holloway in a rematch at UFC 329 had been swirling, the promotion's official announcement did not come until former UFC champion Francis Ngannou was making his walk to fight Philipe Lins during the Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano event on Netflix.

The timing of the announcement drew an online reaction, as some viewed it as the UFC attempting to shift attention away from the MVP's show. McGregor is the biggest name in the sport, and the official word of his return has been anticipated since he last competed in 2021.

However, White says the announcement had nothing to do with MVP's event, stating the announcement was simply made once the deal for the McGregor-Holloway rematch was signed and sealed – and also took place during the UFC Fight Night 276 broadcast.

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"Not a coincidence," White told Fred Talks Fighting. "I had a f*cking fight here that night. Anybody who thinks that I gave a sh*t what was going on anywhere else is out of their f*cking minds.

"We announced it as soon as we got it done, and we were in the middle of our event. (I don't) give a f*ck what those guys are doing. You kidding me?"

Ngannou was also asked about the timing of the announcement following his knockout victory over Lins. Perhaps the former UFC champ, who left the promotion on his own terms and has caused a rift with the UFC CEO, could have viewed the announcement as a slight? No. Instead, Ngannou gave a similar response to White's during a post-fight news conference.

"And what the f*ck do I have to do with that?" Ngannou responded. "So, I should stop my walkout and look at what's going on? I don't care, bro. Let's move on. Life goes on. I'm doing my stuff here, I'm doing good. I have no problem. Everybody can do whatever he wants."

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Dana White: Conor McGregor return news had nothing to do with MVP event

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