Conor McGregor Says Crawford Rejected $200M Deal, Reveals Dates for Final 2 Fights on UFC Contract

UFC star Conor McGregor is set to make his long-awaited return next month against Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329, and he already knows his next move after that fight.

During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Tuesday, McGregor revealed that his next fight after facing Holloway is scheduled for April 2027, and it's the final fight on his UFC contract.

McGregor confirmed that the UFC didn't attempt to extend his contract beyond the two fights he had remaining.

McGregor, who hasn't fought since July 2021, would have a bevy of opportunities available to him once his UFC contract expires. He revealed that he was in negotiations for a two-fight deal worth $200 million with boxing legend Terence Crawford, but he claimed Crawford declined.

McGregor's arrangement is somewhat unprecedented, as the UFC typically negotiates new deals with its top stars with each fight, keeping them under contract for an immeasurable amount of time. It's been rare for fighters of McGregor's caliber to hit the open market, but Francis Ngannou and Nate Diaz are the top two stars who fought out their UFC contracts and explored opportunities outside of the company.

McGregor is also a co-owner of BKFC, so he could pursue bare-knuckle boxing matches. However, the biggest opportunity available to him would be a match against Jake Paul. Most Valuable Promotions co-founder Nakisa Bidarian declared last month that he and Paul would pursue McGregor if he hits the open market. He also said he would look to produce a trilogy fight between McGregor and Diaz under the MVP banner.

"If the day comes that Conor McGregor is a free agent, we will do everything in our power to work with him," Bidarian told Helwani. "That's to work with him to do his own events. That's to work with him to fight Jake Paul in boxing and MMA. That's to try to make Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz."

For now, McGregor's fight against Holloway on July 11 will be one of the most highly anticipated events of the summer. Still, it's hard not to fantasize about McGregor's options outside of the UFC after his contract comes to an end next year.