Injured Conor McGregor hasn’t ruled out a return to the UFC this year, but his ultimate future may be with the WWE, his manager exclusively tells Mail Sport.

‘You can’t rule it out,’ Paradigm Sports Management founder and CEO, Audie Attar, said at Wednesday’s ESPY Awards. ‘I think he’s not only the face of the fighting game; he is a showman and an entertainer.’

Attar did caution that McGregor ‘has to make something like that authentic.’

The move not only makes sense for McGregor, who has been nursing a leg injury since his 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, but the Dublin native’s growing family as well. McGregor and his fiancée, Dee Devlin, recently announced they’re expecting their fourth child. Currently they have two boys and a girl between the ages of five and two.

‘I would say now, particularly as his family grows, he has four kids,’ Attar continued, ‘he may just do it for them if anybody. So yeah, you can’t rule it out.’

Conor McGregor goes for a stroll around New York with his wife and three children

McGregor is all smiles as he goes shopping with his fiancée, Dee Devlin, and three children

McGregor and Paradigm Sports Management Founder and President Audie Attar in 2017

McGregor’s potential move to the WWE would hardly be a defection from the UFC, which merged with the 70-year-old wrestling circuit earlier this year.

In fact, McGregor has been teasing a possible wrestling move since that April merger, when he posted a picture of himself on Twitter with WWE and UFC belts draped over his shoulder, adding: ‘#itsinevitable.’

Wrestling promoter and personality Paul Heyman dutifully chimed in by comparing the former UFC champion unfavorably to a WWE champion.

‘Conor McGregor is just a Roman Reigns wannabe,’ Heyman wrote.

‘Careful Grampa,’ McGregor replied to the 57-year-old Heyman. ‘I’ll show up and break your jaw in 3 places.’

McGregor has been teasing a possible wrestling move since that April merger

But before McGregor can follow in Ronda Rousey’s footsteps from the octagon to the wrestling ring, he has other, more pressing issues.

Attar was not taking questions on recent allegations that McGregor sexually assaulted a woman in a bathroom during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami last month, but did comment on the fighter’s health, and his chances of returning to the octagon this year.

‘Listen, you can’t rule this year out, but we’re definitely gearing up for a strong matchup with Michael Chandler,’ Attar said, referring to the 37-year-old lightweight and McGregor’s rival trainer on ESPN’s Ultimate Fighter.

Chandler and McGregor plan to square off when this season’s filming is completed.

Michael Chandler is seen on stage during UFC X 2023 at the Las Vegas Convention Center

‘The Ultimate Fighter is currently obviously airing right now,’ Attar said. ‘Our team’s not doing so well on the show, but that doesn’t mean that the real fight is going to result in the same way.

‘So, I’m excited about that matchup. It’s going to be a great matchup versus Chandler. Look for it to happen, if not this year, for sure, for sure, let’s do the beginning of next year.’

McGregor is accused of forcing an unidentified woman to perform oral sex on him and attempting to sodomize her during Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

Through representatives, McGregor has denied the allegation.