Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon is such a big deal that even Jose Aldo is rooting for “Notorious” to capture victory.
It was announced earlier this month that McGregor will finally step foot back inside of the Octagon at UFC 303 on June 29 from Las Vegas, Nevada. The former UFC double champion will be making his return against fellow lightweight contender Michael Chandler, although the fight is expected to take place at 170 pounds. It will be the first time McGregor is competing since suffered a nasty leg break at the hands of Dustin Poirier back at UFC 264 in July 2021.
Given McGregor’s popularity and ability to sell pay-per-views, his clash with Chandler at UFC 303 is expected to be the biggest fight of the year. It may not be the greatest card of 2024, but there’s a good chance McGregor’s comeback fight breaks UFC’s all-time gate record, especially since it’s going down on International Fight Week.
With just two months remaining before UFC 303 sets sail the anticipation has begun to grow. Fight fans, fellows UFC fighters, and even some of McGregor’s biggest rivals are counting the days before he returns to the brightest stage in combat sports. This includes Aldo, who is one of the biggest rivals in McGregor’s UFC career. The two have since buried the hatchet, which is why Aldo is pulling for “Notorious” in his comeback fight.
“I have great expectations for that fight,” Aldo recently told MMA Junkie. “And as I always say, I always root for the guys who I fought and the guys who have beaten me because, you know, that just proves that I lost to the best and I lost to champions.
“So I hope that he can go in there and be the Conor of old, and be aggressive, and go in there to finish the fight, and not leave it to the judges. But you know, I expect great things from that fight.”
McGregor, who has been busy breaking Hollywood records during his time off, has not competed professionally in almost three years. That is a serious red flag for anyone expecting the former UFC champion to return to old form at UFC 303, but if any fighter could pull off the impossible it would be “Mystic Mac.”