Following his 69-second defeat to Max Holloway earlier this year, Conor McGregor could be released by UFC CEO Dana White, according to a former two-division world champion.

After an absence of five years, 'The Notorious' returned to action when he took on Holloway at July's UFC 329. As much as the Irishman's comeback was heavily anticipated, it was over almost as quickly as it began.

In a decision he would swiftly come to regret, McGregor raced out of his corner and unleashed a flying roundhouse kick. It may have looked spectacular, but it failed to connect.

Worse still, Conor landed awkwardly as he returned to the mat, immediately injuring his right knee. The charismatic veteran was unable to stand from that point onwards, but still tried to continue until referee Mike Beltran called a halt to the action in order to save McGregor from himself.

In the months that have followed, McGregor has continued to insist that he will return to complete the final fight on his UFC deal. However, he could be released by the company before that can happen.

Why the UFC Could Release Conor McGregor

The world's leading MMA promotion has undergone several changes in recent years. One of the more significant moves made by the company has seen it move away from standalone pay-per-view events, instead opting to sign a $7 billion streaming contract with Paramount/CBS.

In the pay-per-view era, the UFC was heavily dependent on big stars to sell its shows. Now, with guaranteed income thanks to the Paramount deal, that reliance on star power is nowhere near as strong.

Given that McGregor was paid a massive $32 million for his brief encounter with Holloway, former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has suggested that Conor may never get the chance to fight in the Octagon again.

Speaking during a recent appearance on the Pound for Pound Podcast, Cejudo said: "I can even see the UFC just letting him go based on what he got paid.

"They could be like,'Hey, you know what? You've got one fight left. We don't think you're worth that. You're a free agent'. If I’m a businessman and I want to keep a lot of my money, I would cut him. I swear to you.

"There’s no more pay-per-view model, and this dude hasn’t won a fight. It's just the business aspect of it."

Conor McGregor Speaks on His Fighting Future

With fighters such as Islam Makhachev, Paddy Pimblett and Alex Pereira now having established themselves as main event draws for the UFC, the loss of McGregor, who turns 39 next year, is no longer quite as unthinkable as it might have been.

In recent days, Conor has already stated that he expects his next UFC fight to be his last, as he targets a move into bare knuckle fighting. McGregor became a part owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in April 2024 and insists that he wants to compete for the promotion once his time in the UFC is over.

"I'm gonna lay off my gloves in that Octagon for my final UFC contract, but not to retire; to announce bare knuckle," he declared.