Conor McGregor announced that he’d be making his comeback to fighting, but in a boxing match, claiming that he’s getting paid around $250 million for it. However, this has sparked concerns among fans and discussions among pundits about the possible end to his UFC career. Boxing icon Mike Tyson‘s former coach, Teddy Atlas, recently weighed on McGregor’s potential Logan Paul clash, while sharing an honest assessment of the Irishman’s status as an MMA fighter.

First of all, Teddy Atlas evaluated the potential boxing match between Logan Paul and Conor McGregor, claiming that he’s not surprised that he’s taking this fight for the speculated payout. Thereafter, he proceeded to talk about his MMA career, and the discussions surrounding it, and leaned towards the thought that it could be the end of the road for McGregor.

“Obviously, McGregor’s the more experienced legitimate fighter here. Obviously, Paul’s going to be, as I already said, much bigger, and he’s going to be younger. Does this officially signal that Conor’s no longer looking to be a legitimate pure MMA fighter?” Teddy Atlas stated on his YouTube podcast. “Now that he’s [McGregor] doing these events, extravaganzas, if you will, for this kind of money… does it signal, really, an end to his legitimacy as an MMA fighter? If so, I don’t think it should be forgotten how great he really was, and it might be the end.”

Despite the concerns surrounding the legitimacy of Conor McGregor’s role as a UFC fighter, Teddy Atlas claims that people should not downplay what the Irishman has done for the sport. Moreover, the veteran coach claims that ‘The Notorious’ has made similar waves in MMA just like Muhammad Ali did for boxing, and that’s raising the standard and the popularity of their respective sports.

“But I don’t think it should be forgotten that he was a great UFC fighter and champion… and he brought the sport to a different level of paydays, much like [Muhammad] Ali did in boxing,” Atlas added. Conor McGregor has hinted at retiring from the sport multiple times in the past while also claiming that he’s not done fighting. Teddy Atlas believes that the end is near for ‘The Notorious’, but Dana White seems to believe that McGregor will fight in 2025.

Dana White is sure Conor McGregor will return in 2025

A few months ago, Dana White confessed that he was not sure if 2024 was the year Conor McGregor would be able to make his return despite setting him up for the Michael Chandler fight at UFC 303, which didn’t materialize. However, the 55-year-old is putting all his chips on the fact that the 36-year-old will make his way inside the Octagon in 2025.

“I wasn’t 100 percent in 2024, but I am in 2025. I just am. I know more than you guys know. I’m 100 percent confident McGregor will fight next year,” Dana White stated during an interview last September. However, Conor McGregor’s recent lawsuit loss has had people believe that it could harm his plans to make a successful UFC comeback.

Despite the doubts surrounding Conor McGregor and his probable UFC comeback, the Irishman continues to claim that he’s coming back to compete in the two fights that he has. But Dana White still hasn’t shared anything on him yet as ‘The Notorious’ looks to fight Logan Paul in India. What do you think? Will McGregor be back to compete as a ‘legitimate’ MMA fighter? Let us know in the comments down below.