Even as one of the most famous names in combat sports, it has been quite a week for Conor McGregor.
Today, March 21, sees the release on Amazon Prime of McGregor’s feature film debut ‘Road House’ marking his latest venture into a new industry and according to reports, eclipsing Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson as the best-paid Hollywood newcomer in history. As such, McGregor is nearing the end of a mammoth press tour to promote the movie — with the topic of his next fight a recurring theme.
The Dubliner told ESPN earlier this week that his UFC comeback has been agreed, and further elaborated on the situation in an extended 30-minute interview with Ariel Helwani recorded Tuesday but broadcast on Wednesday where he confirmed that his comeback fight has been agreed and will take place this summer.
“The call has been made and we’re a go,” McGregor told Helwani, as noted by MMA Fighting.
“This means this summer, the Mac is back. So with I’m happy with my time I’ve got in the lead-up to it, I’m happy with where I’m at, and everything just works out in God’s name. And I’m ecstatic where I’m at. I’ve got great news the other day.”
For more than a year, McGregor has been paired with his presumptive next opponent Michael Chandler but a date had, until lately, not been locked down.
And while the UFC have yet to officially confirm details of McGregor’s first appearance in the cage in three years since he sustained a serious leg injury in the summer of 2021, McGregor says that he is keen to find the one thing that has eluded him throughout his enforced injury absence: consistency.
“Look at Anthony Joshua right now, with consistency. I was watching ringside, I watched… boom, boom, boom, sharper each time,” McGregor told Helwani. “Look at Parker … amazing warrior of a man, amazing boxer, look at him… boom, boom, boom. Consistency breeds quality. So I’m coming in here, years out of the game.
“Now I’m sparring and fighting and I feel good and sharp, but I’m going to have to get my in-league sharpness, and that’s going to have to come through the things. So the weight has not been discussed. I know I had that little buzz — I haven’t discussed the weight. To be honest, I haven’t jumped on weighing scales since the Poirier fight, the last fight.
“Since I weighed in on the last one, I have not touched the scales, not once. So I don’t even… I’ll have to go through all that. And then rounds, maybe I might say them, ‘Look, I’m just going three rounds, lads, for this one, and I want to just wet my beak.’”
But as McGregor explained, the serious work begins now.
“Now I have to tighten up,” he said. “I’m going in there, the man’s going to trying to be swinging bombs at me, so it’s great for me. It’s great for me and I’m excited and I can’t wait. Like I said, I got the sparring going straightaway, felt nice, trained today, and onwards we go.”
