Conor McGregor's 2024 plans could be a hidden nod towards his new UFC contract, says Chael Sonnen: "Revealed to us that he is in that spot"
Conor McGregor's teasing of his three-fight plan for 2024 has prompted Chael Sonnen to speculate that the Irishman's revelations are related to his ongoing contract negotiations with the UFC.
In a recent video posted to his YouTube channel, Sonnen claimed that the fact that McGregor is gunning for three fights this year when there are only two fights left on his UFC contract hints at him chalking up a new and more lucrative contract with the world's premier MMA promotion. The UFC Hall of Famer said:
"It's a huge gift when they present you with what their offer is for a new contract, it always escalates it always goes up. You don't know how much, or where it's going to be it's a really fun day... Conor revealed to us that he is in that spot now."
Sonnen recalled how, in 2020, the Irishman had shown interest in fighting four times that year, but the UFC was unable to make it happen. Hence, he believes the new deal may potentially guarantee McGregor a certain number of fights this year to enable the Irishman to stay active:
"They picked up the phone, they called him and they are in that dialogue, and by the way he has two fights left. So why is Conor saying he wants to fight three times? Is it because he does? Maybe... I can't look at his statement right now, in conjunction with the idea that he is in contract renegotiations, and not assume it was part of the negotiation."
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments on Conor McGregor below (3:20):
What is Conor McGregor's three-fight plan for 2024?
Conor McGregor is set to return against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Despite coming off of an almost three-year layoff, the Irishman has no intention of taking it slow and is eager to get back in the mix.
He's looking to stay active this year, eyeing two more bouts after his showdown with Chandler. During a Duelbits live chat, 'The Notorious' laid out his detailed plan for 2024, notably revealing that he wants to compete at UFC 306 at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September and on the final pay-per-view of the year.
"[After UFC 303] straight away I'll be back in for September. The Sphere is going on and Mexican Independence Day. I'm looking for opponents for that. I'd love the [Nate] Diaz trilogy for that one, I've said it publically, but who knows? Diaz and [Jorge] Masvidal are fighting in a boxing bout... So June 29th, Sept. 5th, Mexican Independence day, and then December. Three bouts this year."
Catch Conor McGregor's comments below: