The promotion's lightweight champion hasn't set foot inside the Octagon since claiming the 155lbs belt in the main event of UFC 205, a victory which saw him become the first fighter in UFC history to hold two titles simultaneously. 

The birth of his first child and a multi-million-pound boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr were the initial causes of McGregor's lengthy hiatus from mixed martial arts, which resulted in the introduction of an interim lightweight title. 

A failure to agree a new contract with the UFC has further extended McGregor's time away from MMA, much to the frustration of many in the lightweight division.

Many were hopeful of McGregor returning to the UFC in the spring to defend his title against interim 155lbs champion Tony Ferguson. 

At this moment in time, White doesn't know when that fight will happen.

"I don’t know, there’s two sides to this coin, White said during an appearance on FS1's Undisputed.

"There’s the one that you just said and then there’s the (side where) there’s only so many trips you can go on and so much stuff you can buy before you start to get bored and you want to get back in the game.

"So I don’t know. Right now, I don’t really have a feel on what Conor wants to do. 

"Conor’s rich, it’s the holidays; I’m sure his whole family had a great Christmas. We’ll see the New Year brings."

McGregor has yet to indicate his plans for his UFC return but has suggested his comeback fight will see him defend his lightweight title.

“Look, I've got the UFC title to defend and that means something to me. I will defend that world title,' ‘The Notorious’ said during a recent Q&A in Glasgow.

'Nathan (Nate Diaz) is there. He's trying to come in here and make all of these demands. If he starts pricing himself out of an event, I probably will defend against the person who wins this interim belt…or someone along that line to legitimise it again.

“I’ve already gone from the highest of the high in terms of a money fight. Now the question I always get is about defending the belt and legitimising the sport and the rankings.

“Maybe now it would be a good time for me to go and do that and shut that side up.”