Ariel Helwani is convinced that former UFC double champion Conor McGregor will finally return to the octagon in 2026.
McGregor wanted to fight on the White House card, but the promotion did not grant him the ticket. The most logical answer to why that happened is that Dana White did not want to waste the UFC’s biggest draw on a card where there is no chance of generating real money.
“The Notorious” is now expected to make his much-anticipated return on the International Fight Week card in July. His manager met with the UFC brass on Monday, and since then, fans have not heard a word from McGregor, which Ariel Helwani believes is a positive sign.
Ariel Helwani breaks down why Conor McGregor fights in 2026
Ariel Helwani on his podcast said that after the backlash the UFC has been receiving over the White House bouts, the Jon Jones lowball situation, and MVP giving tough competition by signing Ronda Rousey, Gina Carano, and Francis Ngannou, the promotion will now be forced to put on big shows for which they will need “The Notorious.”
If the UFC does not grant McGregor the deal he is looking for to return, Jake Paul’s MVP will likely welcome him with open arms and pay him what he deserves. However, Helwani thinks that will not happen.
Pitching the wild idea of Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3 under the MVP banner, Helwani first said:
[Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz 3] on Netflix will be huge. That’s the closest we could get to [Mike Tyson vs. Jake Paul].”
About why the UFC now will be more motivated to make “The Notorious” return sooner, he added:
I think he [Conor McGregor] has impeccable timing right now, as I think they [UFC] have seen the backlash of the White House card and the Jon Jones stuff and all this, and who is sitting right there? Conor McGregor! Waiting, ready to go for July 11, International Fight Week. And so I think that they are a little more motivated to deliver this.”
The Canadian journalist then gave his two cents on why he is convinced McGregor will fight in July:
I know that they met [Conor McGregor’s manager with the UFC]. I reached out to ask how it went. I’ve not heard back… The assumption that I am going to make is that when some of these things go haywire or awry, he goes on social media, he tweets a bunch of stuff, he gets upset, he deletes, and he airs his grievances. I’ve not seen any of that since Monday… That at least leads me to believe it was positive and they are moving in that direction. I think the UFC wants him back. I think they want him to fight in July.”
Check out Ariel Helwani’s comments about Conor McGregor below:
Lastly, Ariel Helwani suggested that when Conor McGregor returns, he could run it back with Nate Diaz to complete their trilogy, rematch Max Holloway, or face newly crowned BMF kingpin Charles Oliveira.
But at the end of the day, the UFC will need the Dubliner to save the day.
