Former UFC double champion Conor McGregor has been out of action for over two years owing to injury. His comeback was set to take place in 2023, but did not materialize due to various reasons, chief among them being his failure to re-enter the USADA testing pool in time.
Earlier this year, Conor McGregor announced he will take on Michael Chandler at International Fight Week, and added that the bout would be contested at the middleweight limit of 185 pounds. Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen had a lot to say on McGregor’s comeback.
Chael Sonnen dismissed the motive behind Conor McGregor’s return and his choice of opponent, and instead stated that the most important factor was how McGregor would look coming back from a long layoff, as well as an injury. He said:
“So why is Conor coming back? There’s no belt, there’s no ranking, they don’t even have a weight class. Is this personal feud? I’m not going to buy that ‘cause there’s not. What is this fight about? It’s about one thing. It’s about a comeback after an injury. That’s what it’s about.”
Sonnen went on to explain how Conor McGregor’s comeback was the main talking point, and that the opponent, or the weight class, were secondary. He said:
“The whole world is on the edge of the seat waiting to see, can somebody at his age with the speculation… Dealing with everything he’s had to deal with, aside from the skill, aside from the championships, can they come back from a devastating injury like the one that Conor dealt with… It does not matter who the opponent is. There is no name that I can insert that moves the needle.”
Check out Chael Sonnen’s full comments below (6:39):