Conor McGregor’s much-anticipated return continues to be pushed further and further back.

There were suggestions that the Irishman could return to headline UFC 300, but after CEO Dana White confirmed that McGregor would only return in the final third of 2024, those hopes died out.

With the main event for UFC 300 being announced by White following the conclusion of UFC 298, the likely opponent for the return of ‘The Notorious’, Michael Chandler, shared a short statement on X.

‘Iron’ wrote this:

“#UFC300 – What could have been.”

See the post below:

#ufc30 – What could have been…

— Michael Chandler (@MikeChandlerMMA) February 18, 2024

With McGregor and Chandler appearing as coaches on season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter last year, many fans had hoped to see ‘The Notorious’ in the octagon by now.

The former two-division champion took to social media on Dec. 31 to share that he would be facing ‘Iron’ at International Fight Week this year. However, White denied that the Irishman’s announcement was accurate, with his return date still to be determined. Meanwhile, Alex Pereira will make his first title defense as the light-heavyweight champion against former champ Jamahal Hill in the UFC 300 main event.