The UFC’s biggest name is looking to return to action after a year on the sidelines. Conor McGregor, former two-division UFC champion and arguably the biggest name in the fight game, told Severe MMA that he is looking to return to the Octagon this July.
“April they said I can spar again, they said I can box again. I’ll take it day by day. Hopefully now once I get back sparring I’ll know weight, I’ll know feel, know my own style. You know what I mean? I want to develop a different style, I’ll imagine.
McGregor Eyeing July Return to UFC
I’ve been shadowboxing a good bit lately and I feel like I’m just getting the bearings on myself. I feel good, I’m grounded on my feet, I can stop and start and take off. Just the little twist, or the torque, I’ve gotta be careful on. But this’ll be here today, gone tomorrow type of thing in my own head. The bone’ll recover, it’ll connect back to itself, and it’ll be like it never happened […]
July seems okay for me, I can’t say too early, but if I’m sparring April, May, June, July. I could slap the head of most of these guys by the end of April, you know what I’m saying. My first spar could be a fight.”
Charles Oliveira, the reigning UFC lightweight champion, is currently scheduled to defend his title against Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje in May. Oliveira is currently riding a ten-fight winning streak, and boasts both the highest number of submission wins in UFC history, 15, and the most finishes, at 18.
Conor McGregor, on the other hand, hasn’t won a fight since early 2020, and hasn’t won at lightweight since his historic victory over Eddie Alvarez in 2016. Although McGregor remains undoubtedly the biggest draw on the UFC roster, the Irish superstar’s waning fortunes in the Octagon could disqualify him from title contention in one of the most impressively stacked divisions on the roster. Predictably, “The Mystic Mac” disagrees.
“It’s about time this game gives me respect for my different styles of fighting, my shots downward, my shots upward. No matter what’s going on with the leg, I’d scoot in with an open guard! There’s an 11% chance this bone doesn’t heal. It’s passed that now, but there was an 11% chance, it’s called a non union where the bone doesn’t join. Something similar to what’s happening to Chris Weidman at the minute.
Even if that did happen, I’d scoot in with open guard, play open guard attacks! People are going to give me my respect, from all of the facets of my game.”
McGregor infamously bounced back from another gruesome leg injury earlier in his career, returning from an ACL tear to defeat Diego Brandao at home in Dublin’s 3 Arena. Can he do it again? Let us know in the comments.
