CONOR MCGREGOR has broken his silence after missing the deadline to make his UFC return this year – telling fans to exercise "patience."
The Irishman's clash with Michael Chandler was expected to land on the UFC's final pay-per-view card of the year on December 16 but is in major doubt.
McGregor, 34, has yet to re-enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency's testing pool – which he must be in for at least SIX MONTHS before being eligible to compete.
Mixed martial arts fans will likely see the UFC's poster boy back in action early next year – unless he's granted an exemption to the six-month requirement.
And he's suggested an announcement about his future will "soon" be made in a since-deleted Instagram post, in which he shared sparring footage and wrote: "Placey McPlacerson I am in the place.
“Ya’s’ll shut up and wait. Silence! A roar from the throne. Patience, peasants.
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"Bring Proper Twelve, Forged Irish Stout, Tidl Sport. Bring me Gold and Plunder.
"#onlybuzzin #soon #loveyas #thanksforthelove #ham #God."
Former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Chandler is still optimistic about sharing the cage with McGregor, although he admits he may have to wait a little longer to get his hands on the Dubliner.
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He told ESPN: "There is so much up in the air. All I can do is focus on what I can control.
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"I don't have any more information, I wish I could give you some more right now.
"But as far as I'm concerned the fight against Conor is still happening.
"Maybe it doesn't happen by the end of this year, which it still might.
"But if not, it's gonna be [the] first quarter of next year.
"But either way, we're moving forward and I will separate him from consciousness within the first two rounds of that fight."
Former two-division champion McGregor hasn't set foot inside the octagon since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier two years ago.
Chandler, meanwhile, was also last in action against former interim lightweight king Poirier – who submitted him in the third round of their UFC 281 showdown last November.
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