The UFC’s road back for Conor McGregor has been anything but straightforward, and the most recent development suggests the promotion explored no less than one intriguing option before ultimately steering elsewhere. In keeping with Ariel Helwani, the UFC brought up the name of rising welterweight contender Carlos Prates when discussing McGregor’s potential return, and the Irishman was reportedly all in.
🚨 The UFC asked Conor McGregor about fighting Carlos Prates and he was down for it, per @arielhelwani 👀
“They did speak about Carlos Prates, that’s true. And my understanding is [Conor] said ‘sure, let’s go’. Then they went in a special direction.” pic.twitter.com/o2EstsMXdv
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) March 9, 2026
“They did speak about Carlos Prates, that’s true,” Helwani revealed. “And my understanding is [Conor] said ‘sure, let’s go’. Then they went in a special direction.”
It is a temporary but telling report that raises as many questions because it answers. McGregor, 37, has not competed since suffering a brutal leg injury against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. His return has been some of the discussed and most delayed storylines in the game, with every rumored opponent seeming to crumble before anything reaches the contract stage.
Prates, meanwhile, has done all the things in his power to make himself unattainable to disregard. The Brazilian knockout artist has rattled off a series of devastating finishes contained in the octagon, establishing himself as some of the exciting fighters within the welterweight division. A fight with McGregor would have been a large platform for the 30-year-old, offering the form of mainstream exposure that may define a profession overnight.
The undeniable fact that McGregor reportedly gave his blessing to the matchup makes the UFC’s decision to pivot much more puzzling. Whether the promotion felt Prates wasn’t the precise narrative fit, was angling for a bigger-name opponent, or had behind-the-scenes complications think about stays unclear. The UFC has not publicly addressed the exchange.
For McGregor, the willingness to tackle Prates does signal something necessary, he isn’t necessarily avoiding tough matchups or searching for a simple landing spot. Prates is a live, dangerous fighter with real ending power, and agreeing to that fight would not have been a soft return. It suggests McGregor, no less than in that conversation, was prepared to step back into the fireplace.
The larger picture here is that McGregor’s comeback stays in limbo, with no official fight announced. Every leaked detail like this one only feeds the frustration of a fanbase that has been waiting years to see arguably the game’s biggest star compete again.
Until a contract is signed and a date is about, all the things surrounding McGregor’s return will remain exactly what it has been — compelling speculation.