UFC BREAKING NEWS: Dana White Found a Time Machine and It's Set to 2021

So let me get this straight.

The UFC wants me to believe that after FIVE YEARS of inactivity, injuries, movie premieres, yacht parties, whiskey promotions, Twitter wars, and enough retirement announcements to make Floyd Mayweather jealous, the answer to the UFC's star problem is...

Conor McGregor.

Again.

At this point, Dana White treats Conor McGregor like your grandmother's fine china. He only takes him out on special occasions, dusts him off, tells everyone how valuable he is, and then puts him back in the cabinet for another year.

Now we're hearing about a possible Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway rematch.

A rematch?

The first fight happened so long ago people were still arguing whether pineapple belonged on pizza.

I understand why the UFC wants it.

Conor sells.

Conor trends.

Conor makes headlines.

But at some point, doesn't the UFC have to ask itself a simple question:

"Do we have any new stars?"

Because if your solution every time ratings dip is to call a guy who hasn't fought consistently since half the roster was in high school, you've got bigger problems than finding an opponent.

Look, the UFC has amazing fighters.

No one is debating that.

The talent level today is ridiculous.

But being a great fighter and being a star are two completely different things.

Back in the day you had names that casual fans knew.

People tuned in because they wanted to watch them win.

Or lose.

Or start chaos.

Today?

Most casual fans know Jon Jones, Conor McGregor, maybe Max Holloway, maybe Sean O'Malley.

After that, people start looking at the UFC roster like they're trying to read a Wi-Fi password.

And that's the issue.

The UFC has champions.

The UFC has killers.

The UFC has future Hall of Famers.

What they don't seem to have enough of are must-watch attractions.

The kind of fighter where people call their friends and say:

"Yo, are you watching this tonight?"

Instead, every few months it feels like Dana White is standing in front of the UFC headquarters holding a giant bat signal with Conor McGregor's face on it.

"Dana, we need a superstar!"

"Quick! Turn on the Conor Signal!"

Now don't get me wrong.

If Conor comes back and beats somebody?

That's impressive.

If he beats Max Holloway?

That's huge.

But can we stop acting like the UFC's future depends on a guy who's spent more time posting on social media than fighting?

At some point the promotion has to build the next generation.

Who is the next crossover star?

Who's the next fighter that can walk into a supermarket and get recognized by people who don't even watch MMA?

Who's the next guy kids are pretending to be in the backyard?

Because right now it feels like the UFC is still searching for that answer while hoping Conor can buy them more time.

And let's be honest.

If the UFC's emergency plan in 2026 is still "Bring Back Conor," that's like the Yankees calling Derek Jeter and asking if he's available for shortstop.

The memories are great.

The highlights are legendary.

But eventually you've got to stop living in the past.

The UFC doesn't have a talent problem.

It has a star problem.

And every time Dana White reaches for Conor McGregor, it's another reminder that even the UFC isn't completely sure who the next face of the company is.

Until they figure that out?

Don't be surprised if the Conor comeback tour gets extended longer than a Rolling Stones farewell tour.

Again.