Dana White 'confident' of Conor McGregor's impending UFC return, but 'there's no deal done'

UFC has been patiently waiting for the return of its all-time biggest superstar, Conor McGregor. But plenty has changed since the former two-division champion last fought nearly five years ago, including the promotion’s longtime pay-per-view model.

The UFC kicked off 2026 by starting its new $7.7 billion broadcast deal with Paramount, which effectively removed the additional pay-per-view purchase for all of the organization’s numbered events. Those events are now included with a Paramount+ subscription at no extra charge — and fighters like McGregor, who previously earned an extra percentage of their pay-per-view points per fight, were arguably the most affected.

Although McGregor has yet to return since his gruesome leg break in July 2021, others are being compensated in a new way. UFC CEO Dana White said Saturday that there’s a new system in place based on what big-name superstars previously made in the past era.

Is Conor McGregor fighting this year? All signs are pointing to yes.

(Chris Unger via Getty Images)

"There's a formula to it. McGregor's going to do just fine," White said at UFC 328’s post-fight press conference. "It's based on if you take the average of his pay-per-view buys, and what they do, there's an equation for that that you can — we've done it with a lot more guys than just McGregor."

McGregor, 37, last fought in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. The rivals competed back-to-back after Poirier knocked out “The Notorious” in the rematch and then scored a first-round TKO in their final clash, with McGregor breaking his lower leg.