Will Conor McGregor fight again? Examining the probability of the Irishman's return following his recent injury setback
Conor McGregor is out of his UFC 303 welterweight bout with Michael Chandler. An unspecified injury has derailed the Irishman's highly anticipated octagon return. The first red flag was the sudden cancelation of a pre-fight promotional press conference for the fight, for which no reason was initially given.
This completely changes the complexion of McGregor's career. It is sensible to wonder if he will ever return at all, given several variables surrounding his current situation. His lifestyle is one such variable - McGregor is known to enjoy a good drink and party, something that has made others question his commitment to the sport in the past.
The other variable, though, is his health. 'The Notorious' may very well be struggling with injuries in a way that he never has before, and there is good reason to assume as much.
Conor McGregor's lack of commitment to the UFC
While Conor McGregor's return bout with Michael Chandler was eventually given an official date, it was only done so a year after the UFC's announcement that he would face Chandler following their stint on Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter. Many wondered, justifiably so, why there was no official date or any sort of announcement for a very long time.
Clashes with USADA seemed to be the prime culprit, though the UFC's official position is that it denies ever seeking an PED testing exemption for McGregor, with the promotion accusing USADA of slandering their athlete. For this reason, the UFC and USADA parted ways.
However, amidst this ordeal, McGregor seemed unfocused. Despite an impending bout with Chandler, he didn't seem to be training, as various clips of him drinking and partying surfaced online. Moreover, he now seemed to be slurring his words and acting fidgety in certain interviews, raising the MMA world's eyebrows.
Check out a clip of Conor McGregor partying:
Judging by the video, McGregor seemed like a man in love with the luxuries and vices that his great wealth can afford. This was the consensus among several MMA figures, including UFC commentator Joe Rogan and even UFC CEO Dana White.
McGregor, they opined, was too wealthy to think about fighting. He certainly acted like it. If he wasn't partying, he was promoting his business ventures, most notably his Forged Irish Stout, even partnering with former IBF women's bantamweight champion Ebanie Bridges to market his new beverage.
He also began issuing challenges to various fighters, calling out KSI for a boxing match before backtracking, and even calling for a trilogy bout with Nate Diaz at UFC 306. 'The Notorious' also popped up at a BKFC event, where he had an impromptu in-ring face-off with UFC alumnus Mike Perry.
Check out Conor McGregor's face-off with Mike Perry:
However, the worse was yet to come. After an official date had been announced for his UFC 303 bout with Chandler, McGregor was still drinking. He was still partying and didn't seem to take his preparation seriously, almost as if he didn't care about the fight.
White was even asked about McGregor drinking and partying so close to the fight. Unfortunately, the fight won't take place at all, though for a different reason entirely.
Conor McGregor's health
Conor McGregor has never struggled with any serious illness throughout his career. Furthermore, before UFC 303, he had never withdrawn from a fight due to injury, which is something he prided himself on, as he has gone as far as criticizing other fighters for pulling out of bouts in the past.
After all, 'The Notorious' had faced Max Holloway and Chad Mendes with a compromised ACL, took on Khabib Nurmagomedov with a foot still recovering from a fracture, and fought Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout with micro-fractures in his shin. This time, though, the gravity of the situation called for a change.
During his fight with Poirier, McGregor snapped his shin in half, an injury that is now infamously associated with Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman, neither of whom looked the same following their return from injury. It can certainly be a career-ender, and McGregor has been sidelined for more than three years at this point.
Rumors emerged that alleged that McGregor had taken therapeutic steroids to accelerated the healing process of his leg, leading to a sudden increase in his muscle mass. Such was the seriousness of his fracture that McGregor allegedly had to resort to something he had historically been against.
Amidst the uncertainty of his return prior to the UFC 303 announcement, Dana White openly spoke about not knowing whether 'The Notorious' could even train, or if he was suffering from injury complications when asked by media members why there was still no official date for the former champion's return.
Many were convinced that he'd never fight again. It is a stronger possibility now. UFC 303 was canceled due to McGregor suffering an undisclosed injury, allegedly on the leg he broke against Poirier. While the second injury has been characterized as 'not serious,' the UFC and McGregor have been fairly secretive.
Check out Dana White announcing UFC 303's cancelation due to a Conor McGregor injury:
This isn't common practice when a fighter gets injured. The nature and extent of the injury is usually disclosed within a matter of days, but not in this case.
Given the injury he sustained against Poirier and now this second injury which is being kept under wraps, along with his lifestyle of heavy drinking and partying at a soon-to-be 36 years of age, it is possible that McGregor never makes his return to the cage.