Conor McGregor says he's fighting Dan Hooker in Saudi Arabia, Hooker confirms plan

Conor McGregor last fought in July 2021. He’s been on the comeback trail since then.

And in that time, after presumably healing a broken leg he suffered in a second straight TKO loss to Dustin Poirier, McGregor has promised his return seemingly countless times. A fight against Michael Chandler had been presumed for the better part of two years – including a booked headliner that led to the UFC’s new all-time gate record, only for McGregor to pull out.

Now they’ve both moved on, it seems … but McGregor still is teasing a return. Saturday after a BKFC event in Spain, the promotion’s new part-owner, while making a hasty exit down a back alley, told Bloody Elbow he’s fighting Dan Hooker in Saudi Arabia on Feb. 1.

And Hooker told Submission Radio he and McGregor spoke in person at Saturday’s BKFC event in Spain, and that they just need the UFC to line it up.

“I’m on board. He’s on board. We just need to get the UFC on board and we’ll get this thing across the line,” Hooker told the show.

Hooker has mentioned wanting a McGregor fight in the recent past. McGregor has said he still wants to fight Chandler, but will fight someone else in the meantime. UFC CEO Dana White has said he expects McGregor to fight in 2025.

McGregor said in the past few weeks he’s “out of the loop” with the UFC in terms of getting a fight booked. Chandler moved on to a matchup with Charles Oliveira at UFC 309 next month.