In the last four-and-a-half years, Conor McGregor has fought just three times, and two of those were defeats against Dustin Poirier. In that time, we have seen new stars emerge, such as Sean O’Malley, Paddy Pimblett, and Khamzat Chimaev. But in 2023, the king will return.
In early February, Dana White announced that McGregor will be a coach on the UFC’s hit reality show The Ultimate Fighter. The show is now in its 31st season and with the Notorious One featuring prominently in the upcoming installment, the show is set to be a resounding success.
Who is McGregor’s Opponent?
The coach opposite him will be exciting fighter Michael Chandler. The Missouri Tiger wrestling standout is a three-time Bellator champion and has a number of impressive victories on his resume, including against the likes of Benson Henderson, Dan Hooker, and Tony Ferguson, whom he viciously knocked out with a picturesque front kick.
Despite the 36-year-old losing three of his last four bouts — against Dustin Poirier, Charles Oliveira, and Justin Gaethje — the former NCAA Division I wrestler could be a difficult test for McGregor, especially with the Irishman coming off back-to-back defeats.
McGregor’s Recent Woes
There can be no denying that Conor McGregor has looked like a shadow of his former self in his recent bouts. It’s been six-and-a-half long years since he became the first simultaneous two-weight world champion in UFC history when he knocked out Eddie Alvarez in Madison Square Garden.
Since that victory, McGregor has lost a mega money boxing matchup with Floyd Mayweather. He then returned to the UFC and lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose wrestling ability proved too much for McGregor to handle, despite his spirited effort. He returned to the UFC and knocked out Donald Cerrone, who was in the midst of a six-fight losing streak.
Then, back-to-back defeats against Dustin Poirier have left some fans feeling that the Notorious One is finished. The first of those defeats was a shocking knockout and the second came as a result of a doctor’s stoppage following The Irishman breaking his leg at the end of a bad-tempered affair.
There can be no denying that the 34-year-old’s upcoming fight is a must-win, and a defeat may see McGregor leave the game for good.