Conor McGregor has today announced a timeline for his long-awaited return to the octagon, with the Irishman stating he hopes to be back next year, ideally in the first quarter of 2023.
‘The Notorious’ remains the most talked about star in the sport of mixed martial arts despite not fighting inside the cage for over a year. His hiatus from MMA was due to a horrific leg injury he sustained during his high-stakes trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier midway through 2021.
During a recent live video on social media, Conor McGregor answered fans’ questions, confirmed his plans to return in early 2023, and expects a “good couple of months” in camp.
“I’m gonna be back soon hopefully. Early 2023 I’m aiming for. You know, sometime in that first quarter. That’ll give me a good couple of months. Once I wrap this in a couple of days, get this camp going, good couple of months and get going.”
Conor McGregor’s absence from the cage has allowed him to pursue other goals without any distractions. The Dublin-native will feature alongside Jake Gyllenhaal, Daniela Melchior, and Billy Magnussen in the upcoming Road House film. The remake carries its following from the original movie released all the way back in the 80s.
Despite talks of a return, the 34-year-old has expressed interest in returning to the boxing ring, though he rejected Floyd Mayweather’s proposal for a rematch via social media.
Who makes the most sense for Conor McGregor’s octagon return?
While there will be countless fighters all waiting in the wings to face Conor McGregor upon his return, only a handful of fighters will realistically be given that chance. Which fight makes the most sense?
The former two-division UFC world champion has gained a considerable amount of weight over the past year, and has already claimed that he expects to fight at welterweight when he steps foot back into the octagon.
Even though the 170lb division is filled with grapple-heavy athletes, there are some who would most likely welcome a striking exchange with the knockout specialist.
Jorge Masvidal has been calling for a shot at McGregor for some time, and the two have had bad blood between them for a number of years. This could easily be settled inside the octagon. Another, much less likely opponent would be Leon Edwards, who has already mentioned the icon as a possible matchup for his title.
