“Nobody’s ever come back after something like that,” Rogan said on another edition of his podcast. “No one has ever come back from such a catastrophic leg fracture. A tibia fracture. No athlete has come back and performed at the same level after that. Anderson Silva was the only one who was able to come back and have a few fights, but he wasn’t the same guy anymore.”
“I’d like Conor to have a warm-up fight, and I definitely wouldn’t want him to go straight out against someone like Islam Mahtchev. I just don’t understand how you can take a two-year break, endure multiple surgeries, chemize while rehabbing, quit doping, and come out against the best fighters in the world. Maybe he can do it, but if I were his coach, I’d push for a fight against someone not even in the top 15. We need to test ourselves by taking on someone who can be beaten. He can test his skills again, feel the light, the pressure, get his timing back, and then six months later have a big fight”
According to the UFC’s plan, the Irishman’s next opponent should be American Michael Chandler, ranked fifth in the UFC’s lightweight rankings. Presumably, the McGregor-Chandler fight could headline the UFC 300 anniversary event scheduled for April.