Conor McGregor might have retired, feels UFC president Dana White

There is a possibility that Conor McGregor will never again enter the octagon, according to UFC president Dana White. In the aftermath of his record-breaking boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather, McGregor, the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, was expected to defend his title at some stage in 2017.

Earlier this month, the UFC was hopeful that McGregor (21-13) would return to action at UFC 219 on Dec. 30 in Las Vegas. However, the two sides could not negotiate a new deal. After McGregor's pro-boxing debut against Mayweather, there was chatter that the Irishman would permanently switch to the squared circle.

According to White, McGregor's future remains uncertain. "We were working on a fight for him at the end of the year, and he's just not ready. We're still in that 'Conor might never fight again' (phase). The guy's got a f---ing US$100 million (AU$125 million). I've got guys who have made less than that, who were lawyers their whole lives and quit working...and fighting is the worst. Try to get up and get punched in the face for a living when you've got $100 million in the bank," White told the media on Tuesday, via ESPN.

Conor McGregor's next fight is still a mystery

In the wake of his US$100 million (AU$125 million) payoff against Mayweather, McGregor was posed with several options, which included retirement from combat sports, a third encounter against Nate Diaz, a title defence against top contender Khabib Nurmagomedov, and a boxing return against Paulie Malignaggi, among others.

"Conor is a rich kid, who is a god in Ireland. That's not the healthiest environment. At the end of the day, I'm going to run this business with or without anybody. If Conor wants to fight again, we absolutely want Conor to come back. But if Conor walks away and doesn't fight again, it's part of the game. We need to figure that out. Right now, with him, it's not about defend or vacate. We're working on a new deal with him. We've got to work out this new deal," White added.

John Kavanagh, the coach of McGregor, has repeatedly stated that the Irishman will need time to plan his next fight at the end of his ongoing hiatus. Conor McGregor's girlfriend, Dee Devlin, recently gave birth to their son. Stay tuned for the latest on Conor McGregor's next fight.