CONOR MCGREGOR won't return to the octagon until 'early 2023'.
McGregor, 33, appeared to be on course for an autumn return following a seemingly faster-than-expected recovery from the horrific broken leg he suffered last July.
But according to mixed martial arts reporter Ariel Helwani, The Notorious is more likely to return to the cage in 'February or March.'
During a recent episode of The MMA Hour, he said: "Last I heard, by the way, Conor could come back February, March or so.
"It doesn’t look like he’s coming back in 2022. So now, here you have a guy who hasn’t fought since (July) of last year.
"He’s [Nate Diaz] gonna wait a year-and-a-half for a dude that, obviously he knows he’ll make money fighting him, but does he really wanna sit around in the prime of his life when he’s as popular can be, for this fight?
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“What if Conor is coming back, stumbles, and gets hurt again? There’s a million different things that could happen.
"There’s no guarantee that he’s coming back tomorrow, next month, the month after that, and the last I heard was early 2023.
"There’s no rush here, as there shouldn’t be a rush because he’s coming back from such a gruesome and serious injury.”
McGregor revealed last month that he's yet to receive medical clearance to resume kicking with his left leg.
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The UFC's poster boy said: "The body's doing good. I'm out here with my full team.
"Obviously I'm enjoying the Monaco Grand Prix then after that we're going to up the training bit by bit.
"I should be able to kick now, I have another CT scan in the coming days and then I'll be clear to kick.
"Once I can kick and grapple I'll be back in no time.
"Boxing training is going well, strength training and that's all. I'm excited to get back."
McGregor is currently riding a two-fight skid following back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier last year.
The Irishman has been called out by a number of fighters in recent months, including new fan favourite Michael Chandler.
UFC supremo Dana White is a fan of the lightweight match-up, telling TMZ: "I really like Chandler vs. Conor after Chandler's last fight.
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"There's plenty of fights to make. I don't know if that's the one.
"We'll see what the landscape looks like when Conor gets back."
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