'I think he thrives under pressure' - Tyson Fury backs Conor McGregor to return to his best
Heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury has words of encouragement for Conor McGregor. The Gypsy King believes that McGregor thrives under pressure and inactivity will no longer be an issue for the Dubliner when he returns to the UFC octagon.
Speaking in a recent interview with Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Tyson Fury answered a compelling question about Conor McGregor that is bothering a vast majority of MMA fans: How will Conor MCGregor do in the immediate rematch against Dustin Poirier? Tyson Fury told Okamoto that long periods of inactivity may have affected McGregor's performance in the Dustin Poirier fight. However, Fury believes that could no longer be cause for concern for the Irishman, who has been subjected to high-pressure situations many times in his professional MMA career.
"Most definitely, yes. Because he's been there in the ring now. He's been active, He's had that training camp and he's gonna have another training camp. So bit more activity. I think he'll get focused and do what he's got to do in the ring. When it's the make-or-break fight, which this one will be, this will be the icing on the cake. If he loses this one, then where does he go from there. But if he wins it, he's back up there. I think he thrives under pressure like that. Provided he gets a good training camp, he should do okay," Tyson Fury said to Brett Okamoto.
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor made his much awaited return to competition when he fought No.1 ranked fighter Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 PPV event in January 2021. McGregor lost the fight via second-round TKO after Dustin Poirier slowly picked him apart with leg kicks that severely compromised McGregor's movement. The bout was a rematch of their first fight in 2014, which McGregor won by a first-round knockout.
Conor McGregor admitted his mistake of not staying active in the post-fight interview and showed keen interest in staying active for the rest of the year.
Does Conor McGregor have an opponent for his comeback?
Conor McGregor is the biggest name in the world of MMA. Consequently, he does not have a shortage of fighters wanting to step in the cage with him. McGregor is currently serving a potential six-month medical suspension due to injuries sustained at UFC 257 but he seems intent on returning to the competition a lot earlier. The UFC and Dana White have not made an official announcement about McGregor's comeback fight.
McGregor is currently ranked No. 6 in the UFC's lightweight rankings and fights against any of the top contenders like Dustin Poirier, Justin Gaehtje, Charles Oliveira and Michael Chandler cannot be ruled out at this point. McGregor and Poirier have shown keen interest in an immediate rematch to complete the trilogy as they both hold a win over each other. It will not be surprising if the UFC grants their wish since a lot of McGregor fans would want to see him get revenge.