Conor McGregor turns to Turki Alalshikh for help with next fight

McGregor has been out of action since 2021 and has been in contact with Turki Alalshikh.

Former two-division champion Conor McGregor had a recent phone call with Turki Alalshikh after the Irishman asked His Excellency for help with his next fight.

The 36-year-old hasn't fought in any combat sport since he lost to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 back in 2021. After suffering a nasty leg injury in the contest with 'The Diamond,' McGregor has taken some time away from the sport to recover. The MMA icon was due to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June, but was forced to pull out of the contest due to an injury.

After pulling out of the bout, Chandler is now set to take on Charles Oliveira in a mouthwatering lightweight rematch at UFC 309 in November. With McGregor's future yet to be decided, 'The Notorious' recently revealed he is out of the loop when it comes to news on his next fight.

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After Dana White opted to book Chandler vs Oliveira next month, McGregor turned to Alalshikh and asked if he could somehow get him back into competition. "You know, I've talked to Sheik Turki and said, "Sheik Turki, can you assist me here?" McGregor said at a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event last month.

"As far as [Michael] Chandler rematching [Charles] Oliveira, I'm happy with the date. It's November. Maybe we can still do it after if they're not going to line me up until December, January, February, or one of those dates. Maybe we can still do it. I'm just a bit out of the loop with it. All I can do is carry on doing what I'm doing. I test under the testing administration, and I train daily. That's it. Let's see what happens. Hopefully, it all comes to fruition."

Following his plea to His Excellency, Alalshikh recently took to X - formerly known as Twitter - to share a picture of him appearing to have a phone call with McGregor. However, it remains to be seen what was discussed on the call between the pair. The duo were also ringside for Anthony Joshua's defeat to Daniel Dubois at Wembley Stadium last month. While the Irishman was vocal when it came to discussing his future, it's uncertain if he had time to chat to Alalshikh about plans for his next fight.

At the same BKFC event, McGregor revealed he was tested by Drug Free Sport Agency and used the time to hit out at the promotion for struggling to get a date booked for his return to the cage. "I got tested this evening," McGregor said. "I got tested today by the Drug Free Sport Agency. I'm the most tested athlete on the roster, by more than twice the amount. I believe I've been tested maybe 13 times—the same number as the seconds it took me to finish Jose Aldo. Thirteen times. And you know, actually, funny enough, Jose Aldo was number two in testing. I think he's been tested six times. So, I've been tested more than twice as much as all these other athletes, yet I struggle to get a date."

UFC boss White was always adamant that McGregor would return in 2025. When asked if the Irishman will fight again, he replied: “Yes. I wasn’t 100 per cent in 2024, but I am in 2025. I just am. I know more than you guys know. I’m 100 per cent confident McGregor will fight next year."

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