WHERE'S MAC?
Why is Conor McGregor not headlining UFC 300 card and when will Dana White announce his next fight?
The UFC have given no indication as to when their poster boy will make his long-awaited return
THE UFC returns to action this weekend for what promises to be one of their best cards of the decade - without the biggest star in the sport.
MMA's top promotion hosts its 300th pay-per-view event early on Sunday morning with a stacked card in Las Vegas.
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UFC 300 takes place at the 20,000-capacity T-Mobile Arena - which has been the promotion's Vegas home since 2016.
The historic and eagerly-anticipated card is loaded with big names and entertaining fights from top to bottom.
But there is one notable absentee from the Sin City extravaganza - Conor McGregor.
The biggest star in the history of mixed martial arts seemed to be a dead cert to headline the card once it was confirmed his clash with Michael Chandler wouldn't happen in 2023.
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All the stars seemingly aligned for The Notorious to make his long-awaited return on what promises to be a Sin City extravaganza.
The UFC brass, however, had other plans for McGregor and seemingly made that clear to him last autumn - which prompted an emotional plea from the Irishman.
He said last October: “I’ve been kept from my living for almost three years now.
“Understand that. I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss.
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"You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said? I relate. I must return to my way of living.
"This is my job. It’s beyond frustrating. … I just want the date. Give me the date, please. That’s it.”
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The former two-division champion added: “I’m happy with April.
“I would’ve loved it earlier, but if I’m to be honest and be realistic, for my fans, I want to put in a good run, build myself back, and that’s it.
"It’s looking like April, mixed martial arts.”
So why isn't the biggest star in MMA history - who suffered a horror leg break in his last outing nearly three years ago - headlining this weekend's card?
Well, according to UFC president and CEO Dana White, McGregor was NEVER in the promotion's plans for the event.
When asked if McGregor was an option to main event the card, White emphatically replied: "No."
McGregor, 35, didn't shy away from venting his frustrations when it became apparent that a UFC 300 return was off the table.
He fumed last December: "I'm sitting here useless.
"Give me something, I was supposed to be back in April --- it was supposed to be December [2022]!
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"They've never treated anyone [like me] - for all the figures I've brought in this game.
"I sell more than everyone's been buying.
"No one in the history of the fight game has been treated the way I'm getting treated at this minute.
"They should open the floodgates for me, yeah?! I'm waiting.
"My patience is wearing thin."
McGregor claimed late last year that his long-overdue showdown with Chandler would close out International Fight Week on June 29.
But that claim was dismissed by White, who insisted the former feather and lightweight champion will likely return in the autumn.
White, however, hinted at an imminent fight announcement for Mystic Mac last Friday, posting a video of the Dubliner to his Instagram story and the accompanying caption: "Coming soon."
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Fight fans, hardcore and casual alike, are now wondering when the Return of the Mac will take place.
And McGregor's ardent supporters will hope to learn the answers to their burning questions about his return sooner rather than later.
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