Conor McGregor has been absent for so long that any hint of a comeback now carries with it a cloud of uncertainty. Not because fans don’t want it—they do—but because time has a way of changing “next fight” into “next headline.” And, nearly five years after the Dustin Poirier leg break, the Irishman’s name started to feel like a myth that trends whenever he speaks.
However, his latest tease doesn’t involve an opponent. It is about business. Conor McGregor is talking like a man who believes the UFC’s entire financial system has shifted under his feet, and if the structure has changed, his contract has to change too. That’s not a callout. That’s leverage.
McGregor says his contract is void after UFC’s Paramount deal kills PPV
Conor McGregor revealed the news during a livestream with streamer Caylus, in an oddly casual moment for something so big. He said that the UFC’s switch to a new Paramount deal had virtually wiped out the basis of his agreement, which was built on pay-per-view. And if there is no PPV, he believes the previous terms no longer apply.
“They’ve got a new deal with Paramount… And my contract essentially is void right now because there’s no more PPV, whereas my contract was based on PPV sales,” McGregor stated. Then he got straight to the part that no one can argue with. “I’m the highest-generating PPV fighter of all time. The PPV system is done. I’m due a new contract.”
This is where February enters the picture. ‘The Notorious’ claimed negotiations would begin shortly, and he sounded genuinely excited, as if he’d been waiting for this reset more than for a fight booking. “So we’re going into negotiations in February, and I’m very interested to see how it goes,” he said, describing it as the beginning of a new era instead of unfinished business.
Of course, it’s still Conor McGregor, so he couldn’t keep it all about the contracts. He combined business and ego like it was second nature. After making this massive reveal on the livestream, ‘The Notorious’ made an online statement on X that seemed like a warning cloaked in confidence.
“The body of work I have put in to date, along with its depth, is timeless. I really feel younger and fresher than ever, and only still warming up. You will doubt me at your own peril,” he wrote on X. That line is significant because it expresses how he views himself right now—not as a faded superstar seeking one more paycheck, but as someone who believes he can still load the gun.
He’s selling the idea that the layoff didn’t age him; instead, it preserved him. Whether people believe him or not, Conor McGregor is obviously setting the stage: a new media era, new contract negotiations, and a body that he claims feels younger and fresher than ever. The question now is whether the UFC sees him in the same way. If you ask UFC legend Michael Chandler, there is a possible fight that does make a lot of sense for the Irishman.
Michael Bisping roots for McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal on UFC White House
That’s why the opponent matters now more than ever. If Conor McGregor is promoting this fresher version of himself, the UFC cannot afford to schedule him in a risky comeback where the narrative dies on arrival. They want something big, loud, and built for spectacle, particularly on a stage such as the White House card. So, if you ask Michael Bisping, there is one matchup that works perfectly.
‘The Count’ feels Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal is the kind of matchup the UFC would love to make. He claimed that it makes a lot of sense because Dana White has previously ruled out Michael Chandler as McGregor’s return opponent, calling the fight old news. When that door closed, Masvidal’s teasing of a major White House announcement became less like trolling and more like a real breadcrumb.
Bisping said on his YouTube channel, “Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal makes all the sense in the world because for McGregor coming back, he’s the big star; they want him to win, simple as that, they do. The sport of mixed martial arts is a better place with people like Conor McGregor.” He further added, “The White House, being the magnitude of the event, it sells itself.”
Bisping’s logic is simply UFC math: the company wants ‘The Notorious’ back because he is still the biggest star, and they want it to go well on a historic card. Jorge Masvidal is a name, a personality, and a proven seller, but he has been out of the UFC since 2023 and is coming off a tough stretch, making the matchup feel safer than it would have been years ago. Add in the entertainment value and nostalgia of two loudmouth icons finally sharing a cage, and it becomes the type of fight that sells itself without the need for a belt.
Conor McGregor Confirms New UFC Contract Negotiations While Making Bold Statement on His Physique
