Conor McGregor’s planned comeback at the UFC White House card has led to all sorts of rumors and speculation about who he might face in his return, especially after he teased accepting an opponent with hopes that the UFC would send him a contract soon to sign.
At one point McGregor said he was happy to face a “no name” opponent after UFC CEO Dana White shot down possible fights against Michael Chandler and Jorge Masvidal, but that didn’t offer any hints about who was actually offered the opportunity.
Welterweight contender Carlos Prates is the latest fighter to hear his name mentioned as a potential opponent for McGregor, although he’s not sure that’s a great idea for the former two-division UFC champion.
“A lot of you guys have been asking me about the Conor McGregor fight,” Prates said on Instagram. “I [haven’t] got anything from UFC yet. I’m really happy you guys are saying my name. Of course, it would be a huge honor for me to fight against him.
“I really want the fight that’s going to bring me the title shot. [Jack Della Maddalena], Conor McGregor — to be honest that fight is hard to happen because Conor McGregor is five years without any fights. Retired [from] MMA. After five years, he wouldn’t be back to fight against the most entertaining welterweight in the world.”
See Prates’ post below.
It’s true McGregor has been out of action since 2021 when he suffered a gruesome broken leg in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. McGregor was scheduled to return as recently as 2024 when he had a fight booked against Chandler following their coaching stint on The Ultimate Fighter. Unfortunately for both fighters, McGregor suffered a broken toe in training and he was forced out of the fight. The matchup was not rescheduled.
While McGregor’s first fight in five years is going to be big business for the UFC, Prates doesn’t see how it makes much sense given how he expects that matchup to play out.
“Nothing against him but everybody knows, I know, he knows I would hurt him bad,” Prates said. “I would knock him out. I don’t think it’s the right way to make a comeback for a superstar like him. But if he wants a fight, I’m here, I’m ready. Let’s see.
“I’m waiting for the UFC to send me something, any name, any place, I’m just ready to fight. But of course, I want the title shot. So JDM, Conor McGregor, let’s work.”
In his most recent outing, Prates scored a brutal knockout over former UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards to bring his record to 6-1 in the promotion with his only loss coming via decision to Ian Machado Garry.
Prates says he’s still game for the fight if it’s offered to him, but the mystery remains on who will actually get the chance to welcome McGregor back to the UFC.
