Conor McGregor never passes up a photo opportunity, especially if it means facing off with a fighter he’s significantly bigger than.
That’s exactly what happened when the Irish megastar engaged in an intense staredown with former UFC bantamweight titleholder Petr Yan. Both men were in Dubai to watch the IBA Night of Champions event at Agenda Arena.
The president of the IBA, Umar Kremlev, oversaw the face-off while holding up an IBA world championship belt.
Conor McGregor and Petr Yan faceoff in Dubai
pic.twitter.com/Kn8e3g1iZy
— Full Combat (@fullcombatoff) December 9, 2023
Conor McGregor’s Long-Awaited UFC Return is Still up in the air
The last time Conor McGregor competed inside the Octagon was in July 2021, more than two and a half years ago. Despite the long layoff, he has stayed in the spotlight as rumors regarding his long-awaited return continue to run rampant.
Re-enrolling in the USADA testing pool in October, McGregor is expected to fight again in 2024, but no official date has been announced as of yet.
Who McGregor will face in his quote-unquote “greatest combat in combat sports history” has also been a point of frustration for fight fans. ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler was expected to be the man to welcome McGregor back to the Octagon, but in recent months, everyone from UFC CEO Dana White to the Irishman himself has seemingly poured cold water on the prospect of fighting the former Bellator lightweight champion.
In the time since McGregor has been out of action, Petr Yan has competed four times, scoring a win over Cory Sandhagen in October 2021 before losing three straight bouts against Aljamain Sterling, Sean O’Malley, and Merab Dvalishvili.