Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC is drawing nearer.
As he works to recover from the injuries he sustained in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirier, the former two-division champion has finally returned to MMA training. McGregor’s longtime head coach, SBG Ireland founder John Kavanagh, told BBC Sport that he had been impressed by the early results he has seen from McGregor’s most recent comeback efforts.
“He’s healthy, happy, and it’s great to have him back,” Kavanagh said. “… The last few sessions in the gym here were MMA-orientated — he’s got the all-clear for that now.
“He did a great session [earlier this past week], we got some great rounds in. He hasn’t lost a beat and was looking great.”
Since sustaining a horrific fractured leg in his rematch with Poirier at UFC 264, McGregor, 34, has not participated in any competitions. “The Notorious” suffered his second straight defeat against Poirier, dropping McGregor to only 1-3 since winning his second UFC championship in 2016.
“Trust me, I got to have a bit of a wrestle with him last night and I felt it,” – Coach Kavanagh
McGregor is anticipated to return in either late 2022 or early 2023. He has received numerous high-profile callouts from fighters vying to be his next opponent. Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s undisputed lightweight champion, has repeatedly stated that McGregor is his top choice to face him for the vacant UFC title.
Although McGregor hasn’t chosen a weight class for his upcoming comeback, Kavanagh noted that the Irishman’s training partners have already felt the former champion’s added bulk. However, Kavanagh pointed out that this bulk won’t stop McGregor from reverting to 155 pounds if the right opportunity arises.
“Trust me, I got to have a bit of a wrestle with him last night and I felt it,” said Kavanagh. “When that silverback arm goes around your neck there’s a bit of an extra squeeze there, so, he’s very, very strong at the moment.
“But look, when we get to the stage of looking at weight classes and opponents there’s nobody more professional than Conor at making weight and it will all be done properly.”
