Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor is looking to make a comeback to the octagon and is focusing on consistency as he gears up for his return. McGregor has only fought four times since November 2016, with the last being a first-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout in July 2021. McGregor is currently filming Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” opposite Michael Chandler, ahead of an expected matchup later this year.
McGregor, now 34, wants to make the most of his remaining years in the sport and hopes to have at least 100 more fights. He is aware that injuries, fight politics, and life can get in the way but is hopeful for a consecutive run of bouts. McGregor believes he has a lot of exciting fights left, with plenty of rivalries and fighters in other divisions that are considered to be the best.
“What do I hope for in this world? I hope for 100 fights. I hope for 100 more fights,” McGregor told Barstool Sports’ “My Mom’s Basement” with Robbie Fox. “I’m working for consistency. I’ve been having this on, off, on, off nonsense for too long, via fight politics, via injuries, via just life. It does happen. It’s God’s plan. It’s all God, so I accept and understand it. But I’m excited and hopeful that I can get a nice consecutive run of bouts,” said Conor McGregor.
Before he can return to competition, McGregor must go through a six-month period of testing under the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) program after previously withdrawing from the testing pool. While it’s uncertain when his return will take place, McGregor’s focus is on fighting Chandler, who he believes he’s too skilled for.
Reported conflicts between the two
During the filming of “TUF 31,” there were reported conflicts between McGregor and Chandler. However, McGregor dismissed them as mere intensity of competition and stated that he doesn’t have anything personal against Chandler. McGregor believes he has fought someone like Chandler before and that Chandler has not fought someone like him. He’s confident that he will show the difference in skill levels and thinks the fight is a nice bout for him.
McGregor’s return is highly anticipated, and fans are looking forward to seeing him back in the octagon. As he focuses on consistency, he hopes to have a string of consecutive fights to make the most of his remaining time in the sport.
