Former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion, Conor McGregor has vowed to make good on a planned return to the UFC in 2024, claiming he will come back to the Octagon in “attack mode” – amid a lenghty two year plus hiatus from the sport.
McGregor, who has been sidelined from the Octagon since he headlined UFC 264 back in July 2021, has yet to feature since he fractured his left tibia and fibula in an opening round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss to former interim lightweight champion, Dustin Poirier in the pair’s trilogy rubber match.
Only returning to the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool earlier this month, the 35-year-old striker has been backed to fight former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler in his comeback to the Octagon, which is widely expected to take place next year.
Without a victory since a 2020 knockout victory over recent Hall of Fame inductee, Donald Cerrone, McGregor will ride a two-fight losing run into his next Octagon walk for the first time in his Octagon tenure, having dropped a second round knockout loss to the above-mentioned Poirier in their rematch in January 2021.
Conor McGregor promises UFC return in “attack mode”
And teasing a tense build-up with The Ultimate Fighter 31 rival, Chandler ahead of an expected welterweight battle in the early goings of next year, McGregor claimed he would return to the Octagon in ‘attack mode” amid his lenghty layoff.
“Soon I return and fly thru (sic) the air in attack mode,” Conor McGregor posted on his official X account.
Maintaining a keen eye on how the lightweight division unfolds in his absence, McGregor was vocal on social media over the course of the weekend during UFC 294 – praising Islam Makhachev’s high-kick knockout win over Alexander Volkanovski to defend his championship, however, later questioned the legality of the finishing sequence.
Are you excited to see Conor McGregor make a return to the UFC?