Conor McGregor‘s comeback card, UFC 303 on June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena, is already a historic event. How ‘The Notorious’ fares against Michael Chandler on the main event of the International Fight Week main event remains to be seen. However, it has already broken the record for the highest-grossing gate for a UFC event in the promotion’s history.

While the enthusiasm to watch ‘Mac’s comeback after three years is certainly there among fans, the Irishman faces certain serious questions. On a downward slope professionally since 2018, he has fought only four times, losing three of them. In addition, he is coming off of a potentially career-ending injury and is getting up in age. This is why many do not see a good ending for the Dubliner against Chandler at UFC 303. Not legendary UFC announcer Bruce Buffer, however, who told our Andrew Whitelaw on his ES Exclusive Fancast interview that he feels the old McGregor will be back when it is go time.

Bruce Buffer upbeat about Conor McGregor’s chances at UFC 303

Buffer was remarkably optimistic about McGregor’s prospects at UFC 303, and felt that the concerns around the former two-division champion having declined over the past three years were overblown, since, in his words: “Once a fighter always a fighter. It’s in your blood.”

The announcer was of the opinion that while McGregor has become the wealthiest mixed martial artist in history, he doesn’t think it has affected ‘Mac’s hunger and drive as many think it has. He predicted that as soon as the fight started, the old, sharp, and athletic Conor McGregor that fans love and adore would be back.

“So if his head is in the game which I assume it is, he’s going to go out, he’s he’s going to train hard, he’s going to be prepared for that moment. And no matter how many hundreds of millions of dollars he has and everything he has going for him and all that’s happening, when that Octagon door closes, his ‘Eye of the Tiger’ is going to kick in and all that’s going to be over. He’s going to be Conor McGregor at that point. He’s going to be Conor McGregor walking into that arena, right? He’s going to be focused on his opponent, Michael Chandler. So we’re going to see Conor McGregor as Conor McGregor,” he said on our ES Exclusive Fancast.

While Buffer refused to pick a winner or loser for UFC 303, he was certain that McGregor would be a significant challenge for Chandler, seemingly shutting talk about the Irishman’s athletic abilities having declined over the past half a decade especially.

Buffer expects the same snap and power of yore from ‘Mac’ at UFC 303

Bruce Buffer also felt that all the talk around ‘Mac’ having lost some of his venom and snap were overblown, and warned that McGregor would not have lost too much of his legendary speed and respectable power over the past three years.

“The last thing in life that goes is speed. Power stays there forever, but he’s still a young man, he’s still in his prime, he’s still, you know, an amazing athletic specimen, so I expect a really good fight,” Buffer said.

True to Buffer’s predictions, the old McGregor seems to be back even before the fight, as UFC 303 saw new drama with the abrupt cancellation of a press conference scheduled for ‘Mac’s hometown of Dublin yesterday. Given that the UFC has so far refused to divulge any information about the reason for this move, fans have been making wild speculations about it.These range from McGregor being too hungover to attend, to he has sustained an injury, to he is not even interested in fighting Chandler anymore.

It wouldn’t feel like a Conor McGregor fight if there wasn’t some drama and suspense surrounding the moody Irishman. For more such insights from the veteran commentator, check out his appearance on the ES Exclusive Fancast.