Bisping: McGregor had big announcement planned at UFC 223, but ‘I’m sworn to secrecy’

UFC president Dana White originally stated that he didn’t expect Conor McGregor to attend UFC 223, but Michael Bisping claims that ‘The Notorious’ was planning to make a huge announcement on the night of the pay-per-view.

Bisping, 39, didn’t spill the exact details, claiming on his Believe You Me podcast that he is ‘sworn to secrecy’ over McGregor’s original plans at UFC 223. The Brit did, however, hint that McGregor was expected to announce a championship matchup with Khabib Nurmagomedovbefore things spiraled out of control at the Barclays Center last week.

“By all accounts, Conor was going to be at the Barclays Center on Saturday night to make an announcement,” Bisping said, per Sherdog’s Tristen Critchfield. “It was going to be a title fight or whatever the fight was going to be, I’m sworn to secrecy so I can’t say but he was going to be there.”

McGregor, 29, flew from Dublin to Brooklyn in pursuit of Nurmagomedov, but things went haywire when the Irishman threw a dolly through the window of a fighter’s bus in a wild outburst at last week’s UFC 223 media day.

The controversial star injured several people on board the bus, including fellow UFC fighters Michael Chiesa and Ray Borg, which prompted him to hand himself into police custody. The SBG Ireland standout was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief but was released on bail the following day. McGregor is due back in court on June 14, where he could face prison time for his actions.

Bisping, the former UFC middleweight champion, believes the UFC could turn McGregor’s negative backlash into a positive by booking a mega-title fight with ‘The Eagle’. Nurmagomedov cruised to a unanimous decision win over Al Iaquinta at UFC 223 to win the lightweight title and hinted at a potential media world tour in the lead-up to his inevitable bout with McGregor.