Conor McGregor’s return delayed again, UFC 300 appearance doubtful (Video)

We're going to have to wait longer for former UFC double champion Conor McGregor to make his return. And at this point, we're getting used to news like this.

On Monday, Nov. 14, McGregor's head coach John Kavanagh spoke about the timeframe for his return while appearing on The MMA Hour.

“We were hoping for April. That was the hope. That was what we were told. And now it seems to be the summertime,” Kavanagh said. “I don’t know [why]. That’s literally what we were having a bit of a back and forward [about] today.”

The initial hold-up for McGregor's return was his USADA testing, which would make him eligible in early April. UFC 300 is rumored to take place in April, which would mean an International Fight Week return for McGregor seems more likely.

McGregor has been out of action since his serious injury in 2021 and Kavanagh says that time off is worrisome for him.

John Kavanagh says he was worried about Conor McGregor's mental health

“Well, I was [worried about his mental health] too, I’m not going to lie," he said. "But hearing him today, he’s out there finding this great group of training partners — at least he’s doing that. Hey, it’s not quite the same as getting in to compete in front of a large crowd, but at least he’s getting training in, and that’s so important. We heard Volk talk about that, ‘Keep me busy,’ and all that. So I love to hear that he’s training hard with these guys."

He's trying to remain positive in the face of another delay.

“But look, and this is what I was saying to him as well — yeah, OK, it’s a knock back if we’re hearing it was April but now it’s July, but it’s not the end of the world. It is an extra couple of months," he said. "It’s not great. But hey, you’re enjoying your training at the moment. Let’s just keep that going. But the sport, you are around for such a short time as compared to — well, I’m not going to try to make a comparison to other sports or whatever, but like our careers, we can do this for decades. For fighters, is a short time.”

Meanwhile, his opponent, Michael Chandler is sitting on the sidelines as well. Only time will tell if the fight with Chandler ends up being the one the UFC makes.