Conor McGregor is inching closer to his UFC return.
The former champion in two divisions has returned to MMA training after continuing to rehabilitate his injuries from the July 2021 defeat to Dustin Poirier. McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh told BBC Sport he was impressed with the initial returns he saw through McGregor’s recent comeback attempts.
“He is happy and healthy. It’s great having him back.” Kavanagh stated. “… “…
“He did a great session [earlier this past week], we got some great rounds in. He hasn’t lost a beat and was looking great.”
McGregor, 34, hasn’t competed since suffering a gruesome broken leg in his rubber match with Poirier at UFC 264. It was the second of back-to-back losses to Poirier for “The Notorious,” and dropped McGregor to just 1-3 since capturing his second UFC title in 2016.
McGregor is expected to return in either late 2022 or early 2023 and has already been the subject of numerous high-profile callouts from fighters jockeying to be his next opponent, even including the UFC’s uncrowned lightweight king Charles Oliveira, who’s repeatedly made it clear that McGregor is his No. 1 choice to challenge him for the vacant UFC title.
While McGregor has yet to commit to a weight class for his impending return, Kavanagh noted that the extra bulk the former champion has packed on during his rehabilitation has already been felt by the Irishman’s training partners, however that bulk won’t prevent McGregor from dropping back down to 155 pounds if the right opportunity arises.
“I can trust him, we had a little bit of a fight last night and it was very satisfying,” stated Kavanagh. “When that silverback arm goes around your neck there’s a bit of an extra squeeze there, so, he’s very, very strong at the moment.
“But, Conor is the best at making weight. It will all go smoothly .”
