The famous Irishman and UFC fighter Conor McGregor has spent considerable time out of the cage, leaving many to wonder if he will ever return.
The fighter suffered a fractured leg after his bout with Dustin Poirier in 2021, which took him some time to recover from. Following this, he was set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 but backed out due to a leg injury. Since then, fans and fighters have speculated if this could be the end of the Irishman, but veteran fighter Urijah Faber believes Mcgregor is still up to the task.
The former WEC featherweight champion recently spoke with MMA Fighting and shared his thoughts on McGregor and his return to the cage.
“For being a friend but a distant friend, someone that I feel like I’ve spent enough time on with to kind of understand, the guy wants to fight,” Faber said. “He has money, he has fame, he could easily go and just do the movie career or be a businessman or whatever, but I feel like, in his heart, his identity, his passions are still to fight. I think he will fight.”
Despite Urijah’s confidence in McGregor, not many share this sentiment. Chad Mendes, who has been in the cage with McGregor, states that the fighter may never return as he seems to keep backing out from fights, but Urijah is of the opposite mindset.
“He’s in no rush. He’s going to do it on his terms, which is a great place to be.” Faber said of the constant delays. “Not many people in this world, in our world, mixed martial arts, get to be in the place he’s in, where he wears the pants. But I think he will fight because he loves to fight. I mean, that’s who he is in. That’s what’s given him these opportunities. He’s still young and full of piss and vinegar, so I hope to see him fight. The MMA space always benefits when a superstar comes out and puts their neck out.”
“If he trains correctly, I think he’ll win,” Faber said. “We actually sent him a Rollbot. If you haven’t seen it, rollbotbjj.com it’s a company that I have. I was impressed. The Rollbot is a high-tech training dummy with neck sensors and joints that dislocate. He wanted one bad, so we sent him one out, and I was watching him on that thing — and I’m like. ‘This guy is as skilled as it gets when he goes to the ground.’ He hasn’t lost a beat, so I’d like to see him back.”
McGregor is a ferocious fighter who has made a name for himself by defeating some of the top UFC fighters, such as Nate Diaz, Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez, and many others. The Irishman has won 10 of his 12 UFC fights and has shown no signs of retiring despite his injury. Fans are eager to see him battle in December, as it will be his first fight since his defeat in 2021.
