Daniel Cormier believes Conor McGregor will try and prove a point by returning to the UFC.
McGregor hasn’t competed since July 2021, making many question if he’ll ever fight again. He was scheduled to come back against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June 2024 but withdrew due to a broken pinky toe. “The Notorious” hasn’t been linked to any fights since, but his interest was re-ignited when U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans for the UFC to hold an event at the White House next summer.
Cormier explains why he believes we will actually see McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fight next year.
“He has told us time and time again he will be there, and he hasn’t shown up,” Cormier said of McGregor on “Good Guy/Bad Guy” with Chael Sonnen. “I believe that this time there’s a stronger possibility because of all of the time that’s passed, and I believe that the White House is going to be that big of a deal for him. But I think the biggest factor in why Conor McGregor may fight is because no one believes him anymore, and some of that shine is starting to wear off. It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got. When you’re a guy that develops the level of stardom that he reached, when you’re a guy that loves the attention and the adulation, and it starts to fade, then you come back and you do what you did before.
“It doesn’t have to be a big win. It just has to be a win or a fight that propels him into the spotlight because when he came back and fought ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone, all respect to Donald, (but) Donald was scared of him, and he did not fight him. He got beat by Conor McGregor so easy, but that was a great matchup for McGregor. I believe that the Chandler matchup is a great matchup because Michael won’t wrestle him, and he’s dangerous when he’s striking. So yes, I think he’s coming back, but it’s not because he wants to compete. I think he’s coming back because he understands now that people aren’t just in on the Conor McGregor business anymore.”
McGregor recently put his political aspirations aside by dropping out of his bid to become president of Ireland. He has re-entered the drug testing pool and is still eyeing Chandler for his return fight.
