Conor McGregor has noticeably stepped up his training regimen in preparation for a potential return to the UFC octagon in 2024.
The former UFC two-division champion has been inactive since sustaining a notable leg injury in his last bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. Subsequent to that period, McGregor has not undergone drug testing administered by USADA. However, recent reports indicate his re-initiation into the testing pool last month.
Conor McGregor has lately heightened the frequency of his social media updates, sharing photos and videos from his training sessions. ‘The Notorious’ recently posted a series of photos from his sparring sessions on Instagram, captioned with the most famous quotes from legendary boxer Muhammad Ali:
“Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.”
Check out McGregor’s post below:
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Fans swiftly responded to McGregor’s training photos with a variety of reactions, with the majority expressing excitement for the Irishman’s imminent return to the octagon.
One fan wrote:
“The champion returns.”
Another wrote:
“looking fight ready”
Check out some more reactions below:
“If he’s genuinely doing this and not partying now then the mma world would lose their sh*t at a mac comeback””Next victim ‘Islam Makhachev’.””The notorious is back 🔥🐐””I can see the best comeback of history””The G.O.A.T Conor McGregor returns in UFC 300 😤”Credits: @thenotoriousmma on Instagram
Conor McGregor responds to Islam Makhachev’s ascent in UFC pound-for-pound rankings
Conor McGregor reacted to Islam Makhachev’s climb to the top of the UFC pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings.
Despite initially securing the second spot following a successful title defense in UFC 294, marked by a first-round knockout via a head kick against Alexander Volkanovski. Makhachev has recently claimed the No. 1 position in the latest UFC men’s P4P rankings, edging out Jon Jones.
More than two weeks after his win at UFC 294, Islam Makhachev is now ranked number 1 pound-for-pound in the UFC 👑 pic.twitter.com/5TR15Irt7S
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) November 7, 2023
Displaying visible discontent with the recent adjustments in the rankings, ‘The Notorious’ turned to X (formerly Twitter) and uploaded an image from Islam Makhachev’s second UFC bout, where the Russian suffered a first-round knockout loss to Adriano Martins at UFC 192 in 2015. McGregor also shared a screenshot of a news article from 2016 covering Makhachev’s suspension for using the banned substance meldonium:
“Ko’d unconscious and caught on steroids. MMA’s current p4p no1. What a sport 😂