Conor McGregor reportedly refused to sign UFC contract extension, could fight elsewhere after current deal ends

Conor McGregor has been a part of the UFC roster for well over a decade and has cemented his legacy as one of the most well-known athletes in the MMA realm and beyond. A recent report by Ariel Helwani has indicated that McGregor turned down a UFC contract extension. 

A notable point of discussion regarding McGregor and his career is that, akin to most other UFC fighters, he's generally prohibited from competing for other combat sports organizations. This could change once he's out of his UFC contract. 

Also, there are exceptions. For instance, McGregor was permitted to compete in a one-off boxing match against legendary pugilist Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017. 

Currently, McGregor is booked to make his UFC return against Hawaii's Max Holloway in July 2026. It'll mark the Irishman's first fight since his mid-fight leg injury-induced TKO loss at UFC 264 in July 2021. 

Ariel Helwani noted that Conor McGregor refused a UFC contract extension

In a recent appearance on Schein Time on The New York Post Sports, veteran MMA journalist Ariel Helwani addressed Conor McGregor's much-awaited comeback fight. Helwani notably asserted that the UFC wanted McGregor to sign a contract extension. Presently, he has just two fights left on his UFC contract, one of which is the upcoming clash against Holloway. 

Helwani stated, "This is the big business story. Conor comes back. They didn't sign him to an extension. They wanted to. He didn't want to. So Conor has two fights left. And so he's got this one on July 11th, and then presumably one first, second quarter of 2027."

Furthermore, he indicated that once he completes both remaining fights on his current deal, he'd be free to fight outside the UFC. Helwani seemingly alluded to platforms such as Netflix, which recently hosted MVP MMA 1, headlined by Ronda Rousey and Gina Carano. He said: 

"And then what happens? With the streaming world, with Netflix, with Amazon -- all these people paying big top dollar for sports. Could you imagine a Conor McGregor fight on the open market? What do you think Netflix would pay for that? They would pay a lot of money. I could tell you." 

Ariel Helwani suggests that Conor McGregor's successful return could help him in future negotiations

Conor McGregor defeated Max Holloway in their first clash in the UFC back in 2013. The featherweight bout saw "The Notorious" emerge victorious via unanimous decision. Currently, McGregor is scheduled to face Holloway in a rematch at welterweight, which will headline UFC 329 on July 11, 2026. 

Hinting at the significance of the fight, Helwani implied that McGregor's success in it could play a key role in determining how much leverage he has in negotiations for his future fights. 

Helwani explained, "Let's see how he looks in this fight. Let's see how he looks in that second fight. And let's see what kind of dollars he can command around this time next year." 

 

Watch Helwani discuss the topic below (*comments at the 11:03-minute mark):