“If I had to bet, no. No, I don’t think he comes back. Because he hasn’t come back yet, and he could have if he really wanted to,” Joe Rogan told Ilia Topuria during their podcast episode, further mentioning that Conor McGregor could have been in training by now if he truly wanted to make a comeback. As it stands, the possibility of ‘The Notorious’ ever stepping back into the Octagon seems increasingly unlikely. However, one of Dana White’s close friends has suggested that there might be a condition that could prompt McGregor to return.
The former two-division UFC champion is not looking to make a comeback anytime soon. However, he never misses an opportunity to tease a return, both in MMA and other realms of combat sports. The idea of fighting the Paul brothers is always floating around, but he’s also hinted at possibly stepping into the BKFC arena. The Irishman told The Schmo at the Knucklemania V event, “One of these days you’ll see my music coming on to the stage in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, and I’ll come with my fists wrapped, with no gloves, and fight out of nowhere.”
But before McGregor ventures into any other options, there’s one condition holding him back: he still has two fights left on his UFC contract that he must fulfill. Kyle Forgeard, one of the Nelk brothers, mentioned that same fact and also implied that, with his current lifestyle, he might lose his money, which could be the thing that brings him back.
In the FullSend podcast, Adin Ross asked, “Do you think McGregor ever fights again or not?”, to which Forgreard replied, “I think so. I mean he has to right? I think he has an expensive lifestyle too. When you’re f—king ripping your boat and taking jets and doing all that, money starts to get drained right? So he has two fights left with the UFC, and then after that, he has the freedom to do the big boxing events and all that.”
It’s been four years since McGregor last graced the Octagon, after he snapped his tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He’s been focused on his multi-million-dollar businesses, including the Black Forge Inn, Green Back Records, and Tidl Sports, to name a few. On top of that, he’s even been toying with the idea of entering active politics in his home country of Ireland. Right now, his plate seems full. But his expensive lifestyle, coupled with certain losses he incurred in the aftermath of his Dublin civil trial, may just have him coming back for a big-money fight somewhere down the line. When exactly that happens is up for speculation.
Irish mixed martial artist Conor McGregor speaks briefly to the media in the White House Press briefing Room in Washington, DC, on Monday, March 17, 2025. McGregor said he was meeting with President Trump later in the day. PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxHUNxONLY WASP20250317101 JIMxLOxSCALZO
Since we’re talking about ‘The Notorious’ once again, he’s definitely one of the most famous and polarizing figures in the MMA world. His verbose nature has earned him plenty of headlines throughout his career, but sometimes, it’s also brought him some negativity for going a bit too far. And a very well-known coach happens to agree with that.
Javier Mendez believes Conor McGregor’s trash talk went too far
It’s no secret that Conor McGregor’s moniker, ‘The Notorious,’ is well-earned, especially when it comes to his uncanny ability to get inside his opponents’ heads with words. He’s even pushed the boundaries and ventured into uncharted territory to do so. His rivalry with Khabib Nurmagomedov stands out as the most intense in UFC history. And while we saw a more respectful, humble version of McGregor during his bout with Donald Cerrone and the second fight against Dustin Poirier, the trilogy clash with ‘The Diamond’ brought back the old ‘Notorious.’
Khabib Nurmagomedov’s coach, Javier Mendez, who was right in the middle of the UFC 229 chaos, believes that McGregor crossed the line with his trash talk during that rivalry. He said at the Overdogs podcast with Mike Perry, “ [McGregor ] hasn’t been the same after that loss to Khabib.. Obviously, I don’t really like him because obviously he used dirty tactics. [If] You want to talk about a fighter, go ahead. But [McGregor] talked about religion, he talked about family, he talked about country. I don’t respect fighters doing that. I love a fighter that sticks to the fighter. Leave my kids out of it, leave my wife out of it. What do they have to do.”
The AKA coach definitely has a point. And pushing the boundaries with words has always been a hot topic in combat sports. Chael Sonnen made a name for himself doing exactly that, and later, Colby Covington followed, often dragging personal matters into the mix during trash talk. That being said, do you think Conor McGregor crossed the line with his words? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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