McGregor's manager expects his last UFC fight in late 2027, then free agency

Conor McGregor's manager, Audie Attar, expects his last UFC contract fight to come late next year, followed by free agency. Attar said so on The Ariel Helwani Show on Wednesday, November 11, according to Uncrowned.

"I think he fights his last fight. I think it happens toward the end of next year. I don't know who against," Attar said. He added a hedge: "You can't look that far out."

This is the manager's estimate, not a plan. No fight is booked, and as of Thursday we found no response from the UFC or from McGregor.

Why free agency

McGregor has one fight left on his deal. UFC 329 in July was the second-to-last, Uncrowned reported. Attar's point is about options: a new UFC contract would rule out BKFC and make a boxing match harder to arrange.

"For Conor, I don't know if he wants to be limited," Attar said. He added: "If he re-signs with the UFC, he can't do BKFC." McGregor has been a BKFC co-owner since April 2024.

Attar still expects the UFC to try to keep him, though he said the company is "really trying to go under 30" with its roster. McGregor is 38, according to our fighter page, so he would be 39 by late 2027. He has said himself that he'll fight out the deal before becoming a free agent, SB Nation reported.

A gap in the timeline

Attar's date is later than McGregor's. McGregor spoke at BKFC's Glasgow event on Saturday, November 7, via SB Nation. "I done this injury before and returned within nine months," he said. "So nine months is pre-summer."

Since July his public target had been International Fight Week 2027, which usually falls in late June or early July. Dana White said in July that he expected McGregor to be out for about a year, Uncrowned reported.

McGregor tore his ACL and meniscus throwing a jumping kick to open his UFC 329 rematch with Max Holloway. The fight was on July 11 in Las Vegas, and Holloway won by TKO at 1:09 of the first round, per UFC.com.

McGregor confirmed the diagnosis on X, The Independent reported, and had surgery in August, according to NY Fights. It was his first fight since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

We think Attar's timeline is the more realistic one. White's own estimate of a year out already points past pre-summer. And since breaking his leg in July 2021, McGregor has spent 69 seconds in the cage, and he'd be coming back on a rebuilt knee.

The opponent

Attar named no one but said a third Holloway fight will happen if McGregor wants it: "If he wants Max [Holloway], then that's what's going to happen." McGregor was blunter in Glasgow: "It has to be Holloway." Holloway is open to it, SB Nation reported, with timing the sticking point.

McGregor beat Holloway on points in August 2013, a fight in which he also tore his ACL. He has pushed for the UFC 329 loss to be changed to a no-contest, according to Uncrowned. We found no ruling or formal petition.

Our numbers

Holloway closed at −295 for UFC 329, a 71% chance, with McGregor at +235, or 29%, on our fight page. McGregor is now 22-8 and on three straight losses. Holloway is 28-9.

As a bet, McGregor is 0-3 in his priced fights since mid-2020, according to his page. He lost as a −345 favourite in his January 2021 rematch with Poirier, at +100 in their trilogy fight that July, and as the underdog against Holloway. The prices pointed to about one and a half wins across those three, and he got none. Three fights is a small sample.