Conor McGregor’s head coach, John Kavanagh, believes that fight fans will see the Irish superstar back in action before the year is over. Kavanagh, in a recent interview with The MMA Hour, revealed that “very interesting negotiations” are already underway for the former two-division champion’s return to the UFC.
“I’d be willing to bet my house on it. I was actually just chatting with him yesterday or the day before and then [his manager] Audie [Attar] was in town.
Kavanagh Confirms McGregor Already Negotiating UFC Comeback
Yeah, I think there’s some interesting negotiations going along now. I absolutely can’t say anything beyond that, but I’m very, very confident that we’ll see Conor back in the octagon this year.” Kavanagh continued, explaining what could motivate McGregor to take his next fight seriously.
“I’m asked this so often and I have to be honest when I say I really don’t mind. What matters to me is that, let’s say I’m seeing Conor this week and we’re chatting and he says a few names and I see a name particularly gets the eyes open, particularly gets his pacing up and down the living room and showing me what he’s going to do and what he’s not going to do. That would be absolutely the most important thing for me, is that it’s a name that’s going to excite him.
Because for Conor, for training for this next fight, he’s definitely got to find something that’s massively motivating to him to get him out of the silk pants and into the sweaty gym. What’s it going to be? A couple million more? Is that really going to motivate him? I don’t think so. He has a couple championship belts. Is that it? I don’t think so. So I think it’s more going to be a particular opponent, a particular skill set and how it matches up against him.”
Of course, one option that many fans want to see is a trilogy bout between McGregor and his longtime rival Nate Diaz.
“You’ve got the great Nate Diaz, obviously, in there. Justin Gaethje would be a very interesting matchup, somebody he hasn’t fought before. The [Dustin] Poirier fight, we’ve done that so many times at this stage and it’s just a weird one. Michael Chandler, a great fighter, a great athlete. They’re all brilliant. They’re all going to bring something different to the contest.
What I would be looking for would be the one name that gets Conor moving. Gets him off his stool, gets him moving around and gets him excited. Some of the names I’ve heard him mention it’s like, ‘Oh yeah, I’d fight him,’ but if I see that level of lack of interest, I’d be nervous that won’t get him through 12 weeks of being in a very tough environment where if it’s a name that is exciting then training is fun and training is easy.”
