Exclusive: Conor McGregor has no incentive to return to UFC, says Diana Belbita: "What does he need?"

Diana Belbita recently shared her thoughts on Conor McGregor potentially making his long-awaited return to action. The UFC strawweight contender questioned McGregor's motivation to return and opined that the Irishman may choose not to return to professional fighting.

While McGregor was booked to make his octagon return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 last month, the Irishman was forced to withdraw due to an injured toe. Given the hype behind the McGregor-Chandler matchup, fans expect the bout to go down later this year.

However, many believe that 'The Notorious' may not have any legitimate reason to return to the cage.

In a recent exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Belbita dismissed the idea of McGregor's potential return to fighting. The UFC strawweight contender said:

"I don't think he's gonna come to fight anymore. Like, why? The guy has everything he wanted and even more. Why would he come back and fight? For what? He doesn't need money anymore. I feel bad for Chandler for just waiting that long. I really hope he's going to come back but at the same time I don't know the level that he's at. He hasn't fought in so long."

Belbita continued:

"People like me, we are fighting for money... We need that. If I was him, I wouldn't fight. I mean, why? Taking punches, getting hurt, for what reason? I have everything I need already."

---

Diana Belbita on Michael Chandler potentially missing out on Conor McGregor fight

In the same Sportskeeda MMA interview, Diana Belbita spoke about Michael Chandler potentially wasting his time waiting for a big-money Conor McGregor fight that may never materialize. Chandler last fought at UFC 281 in Nov. 2022, where Dustin Poirier defeated him via third-round submission.

Speaking about the possibility of Chandler taking another fight while waiting for the McGregor bout to materialize, Belbita opined that 'Iron' could have done "a lot more" to better his UFC career. She said:

"I'm sure Chandler didn't know the risk when he kept waiting for the McGregor fight, and he still had hope... I don't think he should have waited that long because he's not a 19 or 20-year-old guy. He hasn't fought in how long? Two or three years? Those years added to his age."

Belbita continued:

"And then what? He's gonna come back and have one or two fights and retire after that? That's all we got from Chandler? I think he can do a lot more... I understand it's a money fight but if that guy's not gonna fight at all, he's not gonna make any money."