DANA WHITE has seemingly poured cold water on Conor McGregor making his octagon return in the spring.

The UFC’s poster boy is set to take on former Bellator lightweight champion Michael Chandler in his long-awaited comeback fight, which was announced in February.

Conor McGregor hasn’t set foot inside the octagon since breaking his leg at UFC 264Credit: AP

The Notorious is seemingly eyeing an April return at UFC 300Credit: INSTAGRAM@THENOTORIOUSMMA

UFC president Dana White has hinted the Irishman could return next summerCredit: GETTY

McGregor’s absence from the USADA drug testing pool, which he re-entered last month, delayed the bout.

USADA and UFC policy required The Notorious to be in the pool for a minimum of six months before being eligible to compete.

The UFC’s partnership with the anti-doping agency is set to end on December 31, although MMA’s top promotion plans to keep McGregor out of action as long as he would’ve been required to have been had they inked a new deal.

That lined up perfectly for an April return at UFC 300, although White has hinted the Return of the Mac will take place in the summer.

He told Adam Glyn: “He’s good, he’s ready. He wants to [fight].

“He’s got to sit out for the six months to get back into the drug-testing pool.

“So, realistically, [we] could be looking at him next summer.”

Former two-division champion McGregor, 35, recently revealed fancies headlining the UFC’s 300th pay-per-view show.

He said: “April is a lovely run-up for me and I’d be happy with that.

“I’m in a good spot, I’ve been training – I’ve been leaving also.

“But I’ve been training and April seems like a good time to come back.”

White recently refused to rule out the prospect of McGregor topping the UFC 300 bill.

The promotion’s newly-minted CEO said: “I literally have nothing planned for Conor McGregor right now.

“The paperwork is being submitted. We’ll play it by ear, see how things work out.

“There’s still a lot of things that have to happen as far as fights go, and then we’ll decide where he’s going to land.”

White, 54, and his team of matchmakers are currently devising fights for the upcoming historic card.

Conor McGregor will be welcomed back to the octagon by Michael ChandlerCredit: Twitter/@TheNotoriousMMA

The 54-year-old said: “I think we have fights all the way made up until February 3rd or 10th. Or something like that.

“And we’ve got ideas for March and April.”

Fan favourite McGregor hasn’t graced the octagon since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.

And he got emotional recalling his road to recobery, saying last month: “I’ve been kept from my living for almost three years now.

“Understand that. I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss.

“You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said? I relate. I must return to my way of living.

“This is my job. It’s beyond frustrating. … I just want the date. Give me the date, please. That’s it.”