Conor McGregor shares update on injury aftermath and current UFC contract amid fight rumors: "I just went up a size"

Conor McGregor recently addressed his long-awaited return to the octagon. 'The Notorious' also touched upon the contract status of his much-discussed fight against Michael Chandler.

McGregor's most recent professional combat sports contest was a lightweight MMA bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 (July 2021). He suffered a horrific leg injury during the fight, which was his third encounter against Poirier, and lost via first-round TKO (doctor's stoppage).

The Irishman subsequently appeared on TUF (The Ultimate Fighter) Season 31 in a coaching capacity opposite UFC lightweight Michael Chandler in 2023. In April 2024, the UFC officially announced that McGregor would return against Chandler in a welterweight bout at UFC 303 (June 29, 2024). Nevertheless, a toe injury caused McGregor to withdraw from UFC 303.

In July 2024, journalist Chisanga Malata put forth a snippet of his conversation with Conor McGregor. Malata asked the combat sports megastar whether he'll consider returning at the UFC's final PPV (pay-per-view) of 2024, which is expected to transpire in December. The MMA legend responded by stating:

"That sounds good to me. That sounds good to me, brother."

Watch the snippet of Malata's conversation with McGregor below:

Rumors are rife that Conor McGregor could return at UFC 310, which was originally expected to take place on Dec. 14 but is now expected on Dec. 7, 2024. McGregor has consistently maintained that he has two fights left on his current UFC contract.

Well, Chisanga Malata has now posted an update regarding his conversation with McGregor. The Irishman referenced his UFC 303 matchup against Michael Chandler, which was signed but didn't take place.

Alluding to the contract status concerning the Chandler clash, McGregor indicated that it's important to get the fight on for his comeback. Moreover, he lightheartedly discussed his recovery from his toe injury, jesting that he's gone up a shoe size. As reported by Malata for The Sun, the 36-year-old McGregor stated:

"You know, the fight never happened. So it's just about getting the fight on ... I'm good, very good. I'm a [shoe] size up right now ... I'm back in running runners. I can run, I can box. These shoes a little bit tricky to get into -- I just went up a size. But I'm good, my man. I'm well on my bike, I'm well on track."

Check out some of McGregor's comments below:

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Conor McGregor's response to Dana White's fight announcement tease, Michael Chandler's optimistic hint

Conor McGregor's photographer Dave Fogarty recently suggested that the UFC legend is eyeing a comeback in December. Though UFC CEO Dana White had claimed that McGregor is unlikely to fight in 2024, during a recent Instagram Live session, White teased a potential fight announcement for McGregor and a few other UFC stars.

Meanwhile, 'The Notorious' tweeted a winking face emoji, which many believe was a reference to White's aforementioned tease.

After their UFC 303 booking fell apart, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler have been rather ambiguous about their much-awaited high-profile matchup. They even hinted at possibly pursuing other opponents.

Amid the speculation surrounding their showdown, Chandler tweeted the following, toward the end of August, hinting that a major announcement could be on the horizon:

"I can't wait until you see what we have cooking..."