It has been nearly three full years since the last time Conor McGregor fought inside a UFC cage and fight fans are counting the days until his anticipated return at UFC 303 this summer.
The former two-weight UFC champion is set to face Michael Chandler in a June 29 main event in Las Vegas and spoke to TheMacLife about the upcoming bout, plus what else he has planned for this year.
“I’m calm, I’m composed, I’m cold in the soul for this man and this whole thing,” McGregor said. “I’m coming back with a vengeance and I’m coming back with skill, so I’m excited to show my skills. I’m at a great place mentally, physically, and spiritually. In five weeks, five days time, we’re back on the horse. Giddy up.”
McGregor and Chandler coached opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter 31, which was filmed in early 2023 and aired last year, and the rivalry between the two lightweights who will be competing at welterweight at UFC 303 has been growing ever since.
Although there have been plenty of verbal and social media exchanges between McGregor and Chandler in the build-up to UFC 303, McGregor doesn’t expect emotions to be as volatile as they were before his fights with Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov and his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
“I don’t think I’ll go to that level again,” McGregor explained. “It doesn’t serve a purpose. It doesn’t serve me well, you know. Like you say, you remain cold to the situation, you remain emotionless. It’s a blank face and a specific body type. (Chandler) has his set movements, his set patterns as he moves in and his set shots. I’m aware of them, and I’m preparing for a multitude of outcomes and just getting myself as ready as I can be and I’m confident all my shots will land.”
The Irish superstar has not competed since breaking his leg at UFC 264 in 2021 during his third fight with Poirier and has lost three of his last four MMA bouts – four of his last five pro fights overall counting his 2017 boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
“I’m feeling great,” McGregor said. “Upgrade the software without damaging the hardware, an old coach (John) Kavanagh adage. We’re doing that. We’re in a really great place me and John. Training has been going tremendous. … I have June 29, and I'm going on a (expletive) tear. I'm going on a tear here. God willing. God willing, I'm going on a tear here.”
McGregor, who turns 36 in July, added that after UFC 303 he hopes to return in September at The Sphere for UFC 306 in Las Vegas and then compete once more in December.
He mentioned he feels a trilogy bout with Diaz would be befitting of the anticipated event at The Sphere, but added: “I don’t really care who it is. I’m back. I want activity.”
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