Conor McGregor finally confirms UFC comeback fight date and opponent | UFC | Sport

Conor McGregor has announced that he will finally return to the UFC, with the ‘Notorious One’ set to take on Dan Hooker on February 1 in Saudi Arabia. McGregor hasn’t been in the octagon in over three years, with his last fight coming in July 2021.

The Irishman faced Dustin Poirier in a rematch at UFC 264, but like their previous encounter it ended in defeat when McGregor suffered a brutal broken leg in the first round. Since then, one of the biggest names in the sport has been absent from the action, but that will soon change.

McGregor was in Marbella on Saturday night for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and confirmed plans for his own comeback as he left the Spanish venue. When asked by Bloody Elbow when fans could expect the comeback, he replied: “February first, Saudi Arabia.”

Pressed on who his opponent would be, the former world champion added: “Dan Hooker.” Hooker himself had previously confirmed his next fight plans in the report, but could not confirm at the time whether that man would be McGregor, prior to the Irishman’s confirmation.

“I have an opponent early next year that I’m focusing on, he’s just busy,” Hooker said of McGregor. “Since he came here and saw what he’s doing.

“If I had that much business and that much money, I don’t think you’d catch me near a cage for the rest of my days. So I can understand. It kind of is what it is, I’m going to fight between January and March and you know me, it doesn’t really matter who that is. I always say yes.”

There were hopes that McGregor would return at UFC 303 against Michael Chandler, but the Irishman was forced to withdraw from the bout after breaking his toe. “It’s absolutely heartbreaking,” McGregor said at the time.

“We had a lapse in concentration and were doing a training session without wearing full protective equipment, and I knocked the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It just needs a few weeks, that’s all. I couldn’t justify it to my team, or fans, for being hindered from taking the walk again.

“That walk has been seen. This next walk must and will be 100 percent Conor McGregor. The fans deserve it and we are getting close. A slight loss of concentration and discomfort from an injury were noted. That’s it. Take the lesson and move on. I’m getting this back.”