Ben Askren believes Conor McGregor will be left off UFC 300Credit: Getty

McGregor’s comeback looked in line to fall on the show but UFC president Dana White warned the return faces delay until the summer.

It leaves former Bellator champion and ex-UFC star Askren believing Israel Adesanya will move up to light-heavyweight to rematch Alex Pereira.

He said on From the Stands: “I thought maybe he’d go bump up to fight Pereira again. Because Pereira seems to want that.

“So I think that’s one route you could go: Pereira vs. Adesanya. I think people would be into that.

“People would be really into the return of Conor McGregor, but I’m not it’s actually happening, we’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting, it may happen, it may not, we’ll see.”

UFC 300 is expected to take place in April, and is likely to be held in Las Vegas.

Adesanya was twice beaten by Pereira in kickboxing and then in the UFC octagon.

But when they rematched, the New Zealander returned the favour with a knockout.

It set up a trilogy but Pereira, 36, instead moved up to light-heavyweight, where he beat Jiri Prochazka, 31, for the belt.

Adesanya, 34, meanwhile lost his middleweight belt in a shock defeat to outspoken American Sean Strickland, 32.

McGregor, 35, on the other hand has been out since July 2021 when he broke his leg in the first round against Dustin Poirier, 34.

And he is expected to face Michael Chandler, 37, after the pair coached on reality series The Ultimate Fighter.

McGregor is set to fight Michael Chandler in his UFC return