Expected to make his return to the UFC next year amid his return to the USADA (United States Anti-Doping Agency) testing pool at the end of last month, former two-weight champion, Conor McGregor has issued a warning to promotional rivals.
McGregor, a former undisputed lightweight and featherweight champion under the banner of the UFC, has been sidelined from the Octagon since he headlined UFC 264 back in July 2021, suffering a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO defeat against former interim champion, Dustin Poirier in the pair’s trilogy rubber match.
In the time since, McGregor returned as an opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter 31 earlier this year, squaring off with former lightweight title challenger, Michael Chandler – ahead of an expected welterweight fight in the future.
Conor McGregor issues warning to UFC rivals
And officially submitting numerous drug test samples to anti-doping agency, USADA ahead of his expected return against Chandler next year, McGregor has issued a stark warning to opposition ahead of his earmarked return to the Octagon in 2024.
“Lead hook kick work out of both stances, pre my last fight,” Conor McGregor posted on his official Instagram account. You can see i have the stranding back leg double shin padded and taped up as the damage was mounting on the stress fractures. I wasn’t to be deterred tho. Not then, not now, not evr. Where’s (sic) there is a will, there is a way and praise be to to helio (Gracie) there is a billion ways to win a fight. I didn’t get to let a lot of these weapons go in my last fight as it snapped pretty early on in the fight. I just didn’t bare weight on it till the last few seconds of the round. I developed the ability to fight on one leg when recovering from a full ACL tear years prior so I was able to maneuver around it until the end.”
Conor McGregor prior to his last fight against Dustin Poirier
pic.twitter.com/atDCq9dFtP
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) November 2, 2023
“One of the reasons I went for the guillotine was the leg was already broke,” Conor McGregor continued. “I won all of my UFC world titles essentially on one paw. All 3 of them. Heavy is the fight game, only God knows and only God can judge. Anyways, happy days because it’s not broke now. Now it’s titanium. Tick tock yous little bums. One by one.”
Welcoming the opportunity to compete in Saudi Arabia in March of next year as part of a UFC Fight Night billed debut in the region for the Dana White-led organization, McGregor claimed he has been kept from his livelihood during his time away from the sport.
“I’ve been kept from my living for three years now, understand that,” Conor McGregor. “I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss – imagine what that does. You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said: I relate.”
“I must return to my way of living,” Conor McGregor explained. “This is my job, so it’s beyond frustrating. I just want the date. My date, please.”
Are you excited to see Conor McGregor make his return to the UFC next year?