Manager: UFC won’t risk throwing Conor McGregor in on a weeks’ notice for UFC 223

After Tony Ferguson pulled out of UFC 223 with just six weeks before fight night due to a“freak injury”, he was immediately replaced by Max Holloway. These turn of events have also consequently put the spotlight on Conor McGregor, who has not stepped inside the UFC Octagon since November 2016.

According to UFC president Dana White, they did not want to throw McGregor in as a replacement because they would “want to have the right amount of time” to promote the fight. But according to McGregor’s manager Audie Attar, it is more of a business-related reason, which makes more sense.

“I don’t think the UFC would risk throwing him in on a weeks’ notice,” Attar said on a recent episode of Michael Bisping’s “Believe You Me” podcast (transcript via MMA NYTT). “That’s a lot of money. That’s their biggest asset in the UFC.”

“At the end of the day, I respect that. I get that. That’s another thing I heard Dana [White] say and I respect that. At the end of the day, it makes complete business sense.”

As for McGregor’s future plans with regards to his MMA career, Attar assures that fans of the sport have not seen the last of him. But like everyone else, he is also uncertain about the exact time frame for the Irishman’s return.

“Conor’s been training from the beginning of the year. He’s made that known publicly,” Attar said. “All these other rumors and people saying ‘oh he never fights again or will he ever fight again’. Dude’s an ultra-competitor and he’s not done writing his own story.”

“When is that? I don’t know. What I can tell you is things are heating up and as you see by his own social media, he’s staying ready.”

UFC 223 is slated to happen this Saturday, April 7^th, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.