White claims McGregor will '100 percent' return in 2018
Dana White believes his biggest star will be back in the Octagon before the end of 2018.
"Conor McGregor is coming back this year, 100 per cent," White said at Wednesday's press conference for UFC 223, according to MMA Fighting. "He will fight this year. We'll see what happens here."
Related: McGregor says he'll fight again, claims he volunteered to step in at UFC 222
McGregor currently holds the lightweight title, though the winner of the main event between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Max Holloway on Saturday is set to be crowned the new champion, which White reiterated Wednesday.
White added that McGregor, who has not fought in the Octagon since winning the lightweight belt in November 2016, is not expected to be cageside Saturday for UFC 223 despite the title fight and his teammate, Artem Lobov, being in action.