Chael Sonnen believes Conor McGregor should not worry about making a return to the Octagon because he can’t beat any fighter on the current UFC roster, anyway.
Love him or hate him, former two-division champ Conor McGregor is the most famous UFC fighter of all time. While there have been many great athletes from the company that became known in the mainstream, none has come anywhere close to the fame of the “Notorious” one.
The Irishman has a legion of fans hoping he steps back into the Octagon in 2025. However, we are just a few months away from his hiatus hitting four years. After a pair of losses to lightweight great Dustin Poirier and a broken leg suffered in their 2021 fight, McGregor has remained on the sidelines. He was supposed to return to the cage in 2024 but backed out of the booking for, of all things, an injured pinky toe.
As time goes by, it seems more and more likely the 36-year-old never returns to competition. Legal issues, rumors of heavy drug use, his work with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and new claims about a jump into politics only add to the narrative that McGregor is unofficially retired.
- Conor McGregor record: 22-6 (19 knockouts, 1 submission)
Chael Sonnen says Conor McGregor has an ‘a** whipping waiting’ if he returns to UFC
Former UFC middleweight title contender Chael Sonnen is among those who feel that McGregor won’t be back. He believes the former featherweight and lightweight champion lacks the fire to still be great. But beyond that, during a recent edition of the “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast he co-hosts, he suggested the game has passed McGregor by, and he isn’t good enough to compete in the UFC anymore.
“We can go 155, we can go 170, we can make up a weight class. There’s not an athlete under contract with the UFC that he can beat,” Sonnen said [h/t MMA Mania]. “I don’t even mean that to be a jerk. When they bring him back, they’ll put him in a main event. All of a sudden, you’re asking him to do five rounds. We’ve got a guy who can’t breathe for a full round.”
“This is just a reality; there’s nothing to come back for. There’s no reason to come back. There’s an a** whipping waiting for you.”
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