UFC president Dana White has dismissed the chances of Conor McGregor facing Floyd Mayweather next time out, insisting that the Irishman’s return will come in the Octagon – not a boxing ring.

McGregor last fought in July, suffering a broken leg in his second defeat by Dustin Poirier in six months. The former dual-weight champion is finally practising kicks again but may not compete until early 2022.

McGregor took to social media last week to tease a rematch with Mayweather, who stopped the 33-year-old in a seismic boxing match in 2017, but White has suggested that the pair will not square off again – at least not before McGregor has fought in the UFC again.

When told on The Jim Rome Show that fight fans were discussing the potential of a rematch between McGregor and Mayweather, White laughed: “Not me, I’m not talking about that.

“[McGregor’s return] will be in the cage. Conor’s looking to come back the end of this year, early next year.

“When I do talk to Conor, Conor wants to fight. Conor gets all kinds of offers for movie roles and all these other things that he could go and do and make money. He doesn’t want to do any of that, Conor wants to fight.

“He does both; when he fights, he gets paid. Fighting is what he wants to do.”

Former multiple-weight boxing champion Mayweather is now 45 and has competed in three exhibition contests since retiring with a professional record of 50-0 after his win against McGregor.

Most recently the American dominated compatriot Don Moore in Dubai in May, and he is scheduled to take on mixed martial arts fighter Mikuru Asakura in Japan in September.