Many popular MMA figures have been discussing what the future holds for Conor McGregor in MMA as he’s yet to make his return amidst the longest layoff in his UFC career. A former UFC fighter, who claims to have a “very good relationship” with ‘The Notorious’, Yoel Romero, has made his opinion about the former double champion’s fighting career, claiming that the Irishman has to come to the end of his career.

According to the Irishman himself, Conor McGregor still has a couple of fights left in his UFC contract, with an eye on getting that big trilogy fight against Nate Diaz to happen. However, Yoel Romero claims that the 36-year-old just doesn’t have it in him to come back and put in the hours in the gym for a fight, even though the Dubliner claims to love the sport.

“Conor and I have a very good relationship. He’s not so hungry anymore. He’s still moved by passion, but hunger? They’re two different things,” Yoel Romero stated on ‘Overdogs Espanyol’. “When do you see hunger? When you have to train for three months. Passion exists, but not the desire to go out and hustle again.”

‘Soldier of God’ gave McGregor credit where it was due, hailing the kind of career he’s managed to carve for himself. ‘Mystic Mac’ isn’t just the biggest MMA star, he’s also one of the most recognizable names in all sports combined. With the success McGregor has had on the professional and financial side of things, Romero claims that the Irishman’s bank account has diminished his “fire.”

“For me, he’s the best MMA athlete to manage his career. I don’t think that Conor exists anymore. That fire and hunger inside, green papers have been extinguishing that flame [laughs],” the former UFC fighter added. “My brother, if I’m wrong, just let me know. I am going to call you so you can tell me how we can get you moving [laughs again].”

For the unversed, McGregor is currently embroiled in a controversy regarding a civil lawsuit. That alone makes it difficult to picture his comeback in the near future. However, a recent speculation arose about a potential fight against a reigning UFC champion.

Is Conor McGregor fighting Ilia Topuria?

Yes, there’s a growing rumor that Conor McGregor could end up fighting Ilia Topuria instead of Michael Chandler next year. The former and the current featherweight champion have traded multiple jibes with each other, with some people calling out ‘El Matador’ for ‘copying’ McGregor’s antics. They even had a recent spat on social media where Topuria mentioned wanting to retire at 30 years old and the Irishman chimed in by claiming that he had achieved everything at the Georgian-Spaniard’s current age of 27.

However, the rumors picked up steam when Dana White made a statement following UFC Tampa. Claiming that he will leave fight fans speechless, the UFC CEO has a big announcement that he’ll be making soon. “I got something in the works that you will never f***ing see coming, for 2025, that literally started coming together last night,” the 55-year-old said during the post-fight presser. While the boss didn’t mention who and what he was talking about, the understanding among fans is that the news can allegedly be regarding the Irishman’s career.

What do you think? Do you believe what Yoel Romero had to say, or do you believe there’s a big Conor McGregor fight coming up? Drop your opinions in the comments down below.