Dana White pours cold water on Jon Anik's hopes for Conor McGregor return: "None of the above"

Conor McGregor's UFC return is among the hottest topics in MMA. Unfortunately, no one seems to know when that will take place, including UFC CEO Dana White and tenured color commentator Jon Anik, who have expressed contrasting opinions about the Irishman's expected return to competition.

White recently took part in a backstage interview, and toward the end, he was asked whether McGregor would make his octagon return in August, September, or October, as some have speculated. White, however, was firm in putting those rumors to bed.

"None of the above."

Check out Dana White's brief answer on Conor McGregor's rumored return dates (6:45):

The news will be deflating for fans who have been awaiting the Irishman's return since he first snapped his shin at UFC 264 against Dustin Poirier. That fight took place three years ago, but McGregor seems no closer to returning. White's words, in particular, conflict with what Anik recently suggested in his own interview.

The color commentator spoke to MMAFighting about his hope for when 'The Notorious' will return, but based on what the UFC CEO himself said, those hopes have already been dashed.

"I fully expect him [Conor McGregor] to compete in 2024, to come back at a high-level, fight twice in eight months. I know it sounds ridiculous and super ambitious to some people, but I just know the mixed martial arts athlete within there and I just remain hopeful that he's gonna come back."

Check out Jon Anik's thoughts on the matter (0:25):

With no projected date for his return, fans will continue to wait for news regarding the double champion.

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Conor McGregor withdrew from UFC 303 due to a broken toe

Conor McGregor's withdrawal from UFC 303 came as a shock to many, given that he has no history of pulling out of fights. In fact, he has even fought through injuries in the past. However, at this stage in his career, the Irishman is done fighting while injured and promptly withdrew from UFC 303 after breaking his toe.

Reactions to the injury that forced his welterweight pay-per-view headliner with Michael Chandler to be scrapped from the card were mixed. While he found support from some corners of the MMA world, others mocked and taunted him for pulling out.