What is next for Conor McGregor?

Conor McGregor
UFC

Conor McGregor has faced a lengthy injury spell outside of the Octagon since suffering a leg break early in his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. McGregor is expected to return to the UFC in the near future with yet another potential fight against Dustin Poirier a possibility.

Rivalries renewed?

Aside from UFC, there are also rumors of a boxing rematch with Floyd Mayweather, which could certainly happen considering the Irishman has vowed to also return to the boxing ring as the sport was his first love in terms of combat sports. But for now, UFC will take the spotlight with McGregor needing to make up for lost time and work his way back up the rankings, which could be a realistic scenario considering his biggest rival Khabib Nurmagomedov has now retired.

Whenever McGregor’s return to the Octagon eventually happens, the best UFC betting odds for the occasion will be available at Bodog, in which bets can be placed on any UFC bout including McGregor’s long-term foe Poirier’s fight at UFC 281. He is a huge -165 favorite to win his final fight of the year against Michael Chandler at UFC 281 in what could potentially be preparation for a fourth fight against McGregor.

A potential fourth fight between the pair has been branded as a step too far by many but McGregor’s career so far shows he struggles to step away from his rivalries and certainly holds grudges. Another likely next opponent for the Irishman could be Michael Chandler meaning the bout against Pourier could be either fighter warm-up before potentially facing McGregor early in 2023.

Has the injury harmed McGregor’s ability?

McGregor’s return to the Octagon will be a huge test as to whether the injury has diminished some of his ability or he still has a while left in his career yet. Prior to his injury, the Irish national had drifted away from being a UFC title challenger and was very much focused on rivalries with Khabib and Poirier and mainly aimed to settle scores rather than extend his legacy in the sport.

McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, has said the former UFC double champion ‘hasn’t lost a beat’ since his unfortunate injury and looks as strong as ever.

His weight is also hanging in the balance with the Irishman not yet committing to a particular weight class, of which he may decide based on the opportunities that present themselves. While McGregor has old enemies in the lightweight division he may well opt to fight in featherweight as he seeks to build a fresh legacy.

In truth, McGregor is one of the richest people in the sporting world and could easily have retired now or a long time ago, but clearly, he is not in the sport for the pay cheques; the iconic Irish figure feels he has much more to offer to the sport and is far from done yet.

Many fighters retire at their peak but McGregor’s longevity is largely owed to his mentality to not even give in after an injury that resulted in over a year of rehabilitation. McGregor is already a UFC great and we have not seen the last of him just yet, 2023 could be a huge year for himself and the sport in general.

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