However, the Irishman insists he’s eager to make his return in the coming months with negotiations already underway.

He said: ‘I’m looking forward to getting back and regressing, resetting recollaborating and mapping my return to the octagon.

Conor McGregor has revealed negotiations are ongoing over his long-awaited return to UFC

The Irishman has not fought since a second straight defeat by Dustin Poirier in July 2021

‘I’m eager for [my return]. We’re in the first quarter of 2024, there’s still a good chunk of the year left. I’ve got 2 fights left on my contract, negotiations are ongoing.

‘When the promotional work of the movie comes to an end, when the St Patrick’s day festivities come to an end, it isolation, focus and move towards a return.’

McGregor became a talking point online earlier this week after the movie premiere of his action film Road House, which took place during the South By Southwest festival in Austin.

Fans seemed to notice McGregor’s unusual demeanor, spotting his apparently altered skin colour and erratic body language supposed tell-tale signs.

It comes as UFC boss White refused to confirm when the sport’s first genuine global superstar will return – if at all.

McGregor became a talking point online after the movie premiere of his film Road House

‘First problem was he broke that shin bone, and he was recovering from that,’ White stated. ‘The other problem is he’s f***ing rich. Conor doesn’t need money.’

It emerged earlier this week that McGregor has been drug tested the most of any athlete in the UFC this year.

As he closes in on a return to the sport, he finally reentered the testing pool in October and has so far been tested five times in 2024 – substantially more than anybody on the roster.