Conor McGregor knows exactly what is at stake as he prepares for his long-awaited return at UFC 329.
Five years after suffering the devastating leg break that ended his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor is fully aware that anything can happen once he steps back into the Octagon.
The former two-division UFC champion returns on July 11 to headline International Fight Week in Las Vegas against Max Holloway in a highly anticipated rematch.
The card also features major names such as Paddy Pimblett, Cory Sandhagen, Robert Whittaker, and the UFC debut of Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson.
Despite his legendary résumé, McGregor enters UFC 329 as an underdog after spending more than five years away from competition.
Still, McGregor believes he has prepared for every possible outcome.
“As I’ve become a lot more experienced in the game, I actually work backwards towards the perfect scenario. So I have had a limb break inside the Octagon, so now I must have an answer to that,” McGregor said.
“I have the perfect scenario, you knock him out with the big backhand, the crowd roars. But I also have the worst-case scenario.
“The shoulder dislocates midway through the first round. What’s my mechanism? The lead shoulder dislocates in the first round. What are my movements? What are my reactions? Do I end or do I go to my back?”
McGregor explained that his camp has focused on building responses for every possible setback.
“I have a whole selection of responses to the worst-case scenarios,” he said. “Not that I sit and dwell on them or overthink them, but I just have them.
“So if the ankle goes, if the knee goes, if the shoulder goes, what’s my response? Because the fight’s not over. If you give, it’s over. If you have a maneuver, you can outlast, survive, and then get towards the victory.”
McGregor also revealed that he feels sharper than ever ahead of the comeback.
“The big fight is coming. Let’s cheers to that. ‘The Mac’ is back, baby. Let’s go,” McGregor said.“I’m out so long, five years. My body’s fresh, my mind is sharp. I’m ready to come back. I’ve got a great opponent. I’ve got a great deal off the UFC. I’m very, very happy. They honored me, finally.”
Looking back at his first meeting with Holloway in 2013, McGregor believes he can once again showcase his evolution inside the cage.
“July 11, Sin City, Las Vegas,” McGregor said. “The opponent is a man that I’ve beaten before in Max Holloway.
“He is an established fighter, an accomplished fighter, former UFC world champion, former BMF champion. This is a quality opponent.
“Our last bout was martial arts mastery by yours truly, and I plan on doing it again. I plan on showing my growth and my improvements in there.”
A win would mark McGregor’s first victory since his 40-second knockout of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.
For McGregor, UFC 329 is more than just a comeback. It is his chance to prove that after years away, he can still compete at the highest level and remind the world exactly who he is.
