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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to fight Dustin Poirier during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 10: Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to fight Dustin Poirier during the UFC 264 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Conor McGregor has been a lot on the radar these days and for various reasons. One of the biggest reasons is that he had to withdraw from UFC 303 before he could take on his rival, Michael Chandler, in the welterweight division. The short-notice withdrawal was due to two injuries and the fighter is currently on the road to recovery. Before that, his call out to his opponent and other stunts caught the attention of MMA fans, who are still waiting for his return. Meanwhile, two UFC veterans assembled to discuss how the old Conor is better than the new version. What is this all about? Why did they suggest that the old Conor McGregor has to come back?
UFC veterans Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen made some bold assumptions and predictions for the rest of 2024 in the UFC world. They spoke about the fiasco that happened for UFC 303 and what Michael Chandler will do now given the fact that his much-awaited fight with Conor McGregor was cancelled. Sonnen was clear on one thing while speaking about how Chandler needs to move on from the McGregor fight.
He said that ‘The Notorious’ needs to stop the gimmicks and bring back his old self. ‘The Bad Guy’ explained on the recent ‘Good Guy/ Bad Guy’ episode, “I think there is another Conor McGregor under the surface there. And I think the real Conor prefers the old Conor. I think the new Conor is a little bit tired of himself. He’s a little bit tired of the character and the gimmick and what he will learn over time is that fans will accept him and we like nice Conor.”
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MARCH 15: Conor McGregor visits “Hannity” with host Sean Hannity at Fox News Channel Studios on March 15, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images)
He also pointed out how everyone likes the competitive version of McGregor, even the arrogant one which is primarily ‘Mystic Mac’ but most of all, people love the old Conor McGregor. On the other hand, the 35-year-old is still adamant about his return and announced that it might be sooner than later.
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Conor McGregor announced his return
The Irishman is pretty active on social media and continuously keeps his fans updated about his shenanigans. He has been recently posting his training videos and Switzerland family vacation activities. This time, he also shared his return to UFC and posted a picture of himself with a message that read, “Soon I return and fly through the air in attack mode.”
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‘Mystic Mac’s’ update has come at a time when the fans are doubting his return and even contemplating his retirement. The 35-year-old former two-weight champion has been on hiatus since he had surgery following the injury after clashing with Dustin Poirier. Chandler, who is 38, already has been waiting for two years to fight McGregor, but he lost his chance again and even Sonnen advised him to move on.
Chandler has now challenged Nate Diaz and Islam Makhachev among others even when McGregor gave his comeback hint to be September. What do you think might play out in this case? Let us know in the comments below.
Debate
Can Conor McGregor really win fans over by ditching his 'Mystic Mac' persona for a nicer image?