Conor McGregor Fighting At UFC 230? Irishman Needs Renewed New York License

Conor McGregor needs a renewed New York license if he wants to compete at UFC 230, but the State Athletic Commission is willing to review his application should he submit one.

McGregor is expected to return to mixed martial arts action this year for the first time since November 2016 when he defeated Eddie Alvarez to win the lightweight championship at UFC 205 in Madison Square Garden, New York.

However, because of his inactivity since that day, he was stripped of the title earlier this year with longtime rival Khabib Nurmagomedov going on to win the vacant strap at UFC 223 back in April in Brooklyn, New York.

The fiery build-up to UFC 223 notably saw McGregor hurl a dolly at a bus with Nurmagomedov inside which only further added to their intense rivalry, with the Irishman later turning himself in to the police before posting bail.

McGregor was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief, with his Brooklyn court hearing last month getting postponed to July 26 where he is expected to get away without any major punishment.

That should pave the way for him to face Nurmagomedov in a highly-anticipated match-up with some reports stating the plan is for them to fight at UFC 229 in October in Las Vegas while others state it could be an end-of-year card.

However, there is also an underlying belief the fight could headline UFC 230 on Nov. 3 in the promotion's annual trip to the iconic Madison Square Garden arena, with the last two occasions being highly-stacked cards.

McGregor of course, notably took part in the UFC's first-ever main event there during 205 which generated 1.3 million pay-per-view buys and a $17.7 million gate, while the event also contributed to $37 million in economic output for the city.

But any chances of the 30-year-old featuring in New York again depend on the State Athletic Commission who state McGregor has to renew his license to be able to compete in their state. Because of his actions in the build-up to UFC 223, he may not be guaranteed to get a new license, but they are willing to review his application.

"Mr. McGregor has not held a license to compete in New York State since November 2017," a New York State Athletic Commission official told Express Sport. "If and when he applies for a license to participate in New York State combat sports, the Athletic Commission will review the application."

"We do not comment or opine on hypothetical individual applicants. However, as it does with all license applicants, the Athletic Commission will review a variety of factors, including any criminal convictions or violations, in determining whether an individual is eligible to participate in combat sports in New York State."

Meanwhile, UFC 230 got its first official fight as Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza will take on New York's own David Branch in a pivotal middleweight encounter.