The McGregor Mirage: Will Conor (Ever) Return?

News18

3 days ago

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McGregor's recent video has sparked speculation about a potential return. Despite his dramatic flair and past retirements, doubts remain due to his prior losses and long layoff.
Conor McGregor's latest social-media bomb—a clip of 'The Notorious" bobbing, throwing combinations and hooks—has ignited the MMA world's collective imagination.
Is the former two-division champion gearing up for a seismic UFC comeback at White House, or is this just another well-timed tease? A closer look at McGregor's history of phantom retirements and pullouts suggests caution.
His recent shadow-boxing video may get fans salivating, but the reality of ring rust, past cancellations, and a decidedly lacklustre showing against Dustin Poirier raise serious doubts about what we'll see if—and when—McGregor truly returns.
The Art of the Tease
McGregor recently posted a short clip, showing him moving through silent combinations. The impresario's caption— 'I gave my first blood test, that's what the plaster is on my shoulder. I am ECSTATIC! I'm in SHAPE!" —would be irresistible to the MMA observer.
Conor McGregor says he's officially back in the UFC's testing pool 👀'I gave my first blood test, that's what the plaster is on my shoulder. I am ECSTATIC! I'm in SHAPE!"
🎥 @TheNotoriousMMA pic.twitter.com/qEYz3Zq0MX
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 30, 2025
Yet McGregor's flair for drama is inseparable from his flair for self-promotion. His prior 'retirement" announcements have repeatedly proven to be bargaining chips as much as genuine career pivots.
In 2016, McGregor withdrew from UFC 200 media obligations only to reschedule and deliver a blockbuster rematch with Nate Diaz. After the Khabib Nurmagomedov defeat in 2018, another proclaimed retirement evaporated at the first hint of a lucrative boxing payday.
And most recently, McGregor bowed out of UFC 303 against Michael Chandler with a broken toe, despite fans and broadcasters having sealed up promotional efforts just days earlier.
McGregor has never hesitated to press 'pause" on a fight when circumstances shift—even when the stakes are sky-high. His forced UFC 303 withdrawal was the first time injury kept him out of a bout, but it capped a long tradition of well-timed bow-outs.
The Irishman delayed UFC 200's Nate Diaz showdown by missing a press conference, and Dana White publicly questioned the sincerity of his multiple retirements. These ghosting acts have repeatedly punctured fan expectations and forced opponents—and the UFC's promotional machine—to pivot at the last moment.
The Poirier Prelude: Flat-Footed Conor
If McGregor does reemerge, he'll carry the baggage of his most recent UFC run, which ended with back-to-back stoppage losses to Dustin Poirier.
At UFC 257 in January 2021, Poirier's relentless calf kicks dismantled McGregor's movement, turning the trademark southpaw into a stationary target until a second-round knockout made history as McGregor's first UFC KO loss. McGregor himself later admitted he 'deserved" that defeat, acknowledging a narrow, boxing-only gameplan that left him vulnerable to leg attacks.
Their trilogy bout at UFC 264 was even uglier. McGregor suffered a gruesome leg break behind Poirier's finish, capping an evening in which 'The Diamond" systematically dismantled McGregor's stance and power base. Where McGregor once dazzled with explosive entries and lightning pivots, he looked laborious—his feet glued to the canvas, his famous left hand connecting occasionally, failing to rock Dustin.
Father Time Comes For Us All
A lengthy layoff is poison to any fighter's reflexes, but McGregor's style—built on bursts of speed and precision timing—is especially vulnerable.
After nearly four years away from the Octagon and a fractured tibia to boot, expect his signature lateral movement to be notably diminished. Even if his power remains intact, the crispness of his counters and the snap on his straight left will likely have degraded. Opponents will game-plan around neutralising his lead leg and forcing McGregor to fight from the center, where he's most exposed.
McGregor's trajectory has always hinged on his ability to evolve. In 2020, he shocked the world by stopping Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds, displaying a refined wrestling defense and polished boxing combinations.
But that performance is now almost half a decade old. To combat fighters who have studied his every nuance—and honed weapons like calf kicks into art forms—McGregor would need fresh counters. His historical approach to calf kicks, like leaning heavily on the front leg in hopes of a catch, proved suboptimal against Poirier's low strikes. Without new defensive wrinkles, his comeback could be a replay of those painful leg-beat strategies.
The Forecast
MMA enthusiasts should approach McGregor's shadow-boxing tease with a healthy dose of skepticism. The video is indisputably eye-catching, but McGregor's career is strewn with false starts and commercial gambits. Even if he fights again, the odds he'll resemble the mercurial, unpredictable force of 2015 or 2016 are long. A slowed McGregor, dragging a leg rehab, facing an opponent primed to exploit his rust, is a far cry from the highlight-reel knockout artist fans crave.
Analysing the video in itself, McGregor flowing through the combinations looks tad sluggish. Even if it is due to his natural weight slowing him down, there's also the matter of his age. Now 37, the title run McGregor that demolished Eddie Alvarez and Jose Also is a faded memory.
His life outside of the ring has also drawn significant scrutiny—his criminal conviction, the public antics, the presidential nomination—all bring to question McGregor's commitment to the fight game. A training camp requires immense discipline, and taking into consideration his recent profile—it is hard to tell if he's prepared to go out with a memorable performance, or fizzle out like the recently retired Jon Jones.
Whether 'The Notorious" will finally settle the suspense remains to be seen. For now, his X shadow-boxing is another in a long series of perfectly choreographed mirages—beautifully composed, terrifyingly ambiguous, and possibly as fleeting as the shadow that once danced behind the gloves.
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Conor McGregor MMA MMA star Conor McGregor ufc Ultimate Fighting Championship
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First Published:
July 31, 2025, 13:20 IST
News sports The McGregor Mirage: Will Conor (Ever) Return?
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