Whether there was no one expecting the return of the Irishman in the UItimate Fighting Championship, it is still a welcome surprise to see Conor McGregor come back in the Octagon. Love him or hate him, the controversial and charismatic mixed martial artist from Dublin proved once again that the entire world hears what he has to say. To say that the return is highly anticipated is an understatement, since records were shattered the moment the Irishman had something to say.
With the recent announcement that the former UFC champion will once again fight against Michael Chandler in UFC 303 as a welterweight main event in Las Vegas T-Mobile Arena, there are many expectations on McGregor and how he will fare coming out of semi-retirement. As the date draws near, here are some notable developments to look out for before the heated return of “Notorious” happens.
The Irishman breaks records, again
The “Notorious” nickname Connor McGregor earned is well-earned and he proves it once again with his announcement to come out of retirement. Once the fight was announced, Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White disclosed that the UFC experienced a record-breaking gate for the main event, to the tune of roughly $20m. According to White, UFC 303 is by far the biggest gate that the mixed martial arts league has earned since its decades-long existence. The previous record was also held by McGregor at $17m when he fought against Eddie Alvarez for the aforementioned lightweight championship at UFC 205.
McGregor is no stranger to beating records, whether it’s in the sport he thrives in, or outside his expertise. As the only fighter in the UFC that held both the featherweight and lightweight championship titles at the same time, McGregor is heavily favored in some of the best sports betting sites as well as community circles when it comes to winning the fights he picks. However, it has been a significant amount of time since McGregor competed and while the spectacular wins throughout his career were nothing short of impressive, fans have to ask if he can still back up the words that come out of his mouth. And against the deadly Michael Chandler’s vicious wrestling ability and resilience, fans think that McGregor has a tough ordeal to go through.
How will the Irish fight?
Naturally, a figure as controversial and charismatic as McGregor has the industry and the community buzzing. A few competitors in the league speak their piece about the fight, one of them being UFC fighter Angela Hill. In an interview, Hill predicts that it is very possible for McGregor to claim victory over Chandler in his return. She stresses that it is important that McGregor wins the bout in UFC 303 against the American wrestler, which will propel “Notorious” back to form: the trash-talking knockout artist that he was.
Paulie Malignaggi, a fighter that McGregor knows very intimately, also shares his thoughts about the Dublin mixed martial artist’s return. In the past, Malignaggi traded some unsavory words against McGregor at the height of the Irishman’s promotions for his fight against the undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather. Malignaggi shares that he gives an edge to his rival over Chandler since Malignaggi analyzes that Chandler could not stand up against McGregor’s stand-up abilities. Should Chandler close in the gap to wrestle McGregor down to the ground, Malignaggi says that Chandler could take the victory.
With only a few weeks away into the big fight, tensions are bound to run high until the big fight between McGregor and Chandler approaches. Knowing the antics of the Dublin boxer, his words are likely to add fuel to the fire. It is another exciting time in mixed martial arts and the whole world is watching once more!
