Conor McGregor failed to impress MMA fans for the second time in less than two weeks while showing off his training footage. Earlier, the Notorious was seen putting his Jiu-Jitsu skills to the test and the fans were quick to remind him of his loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov while implying that he was willing to fight anybody, “but Chandler.” McGregor was scheduled to fight Chandler at UFC 303, but an injury during training meant the Irishman’s hopes of a return to the octagons were over.

The Nikita Hand civil case has further clouded McGregror’s MMA future, with the fighter even reported to be considering a move away from his homeland. Amidst, this the fighter tweeted that he is in talks to face Logan Paul in an exhibition boxing match in India. Footage posted by the former double champion on his Instagram showed his latest boxing bag work in anticipation of that fight, but fans once again showed their discontent.

A recent video uploaded by Conor McGregor on his Instagram stories showcases ‘Mystic Mac’ doing some bag work on a punching bag. He can be seen practicing 1-2’s on them. However, the fans believe the speed and the accuracy of the punches are way off and according to them, this training footage indicates that McGregor may have lost his touch.

MMA is a sport that evolves through time and if you are not able to keep it could end badly. It has been over three years since he last stepped inside the Octagon after suffering a brutal leg injury during his b͏out against͏ Dustin Poi͏rier͏ at UFC 264, fracturing his tibia and fibula. In his tweet talking about a possible clash against Logan Paul, McGregor mentioned that he will prepare for his return to UFC after that fight.

Despite his fight against Michael Chandler being canceled, Chael Sonnen believes he is still the perfect opponent for McGregor while insisting there is another name that could draw attention. Sonnen mentioned, “If your match does not have meaning for the future—a potential to take you somewhere else—Dana White will not book that match. So, that’s where you start to see if Conor were to return and not be in there with Chandler. That’s where you start to see the likelihood of Conor finding himself across from Paddy ‘The Baddy’ going up exponentially.”

While the prospect of McGregor vs Paddy Pimblett is exciting, going by the training footage, many fans are not convinced whether we will ever get to see the same McGregor who once brutalized  Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in 13 seconds.

The Irishman is already recovering from a significant injury, and on top of that, his training footage hasn’t inspired much confidence among the fans. This will bode well for Logan Paul, with ‘The Maverick’ already having a size advantage over McGregor. However, one should not forget that McGregor went 10 rounds with Floyd Mayweather back in 2017, and with his vast skillset and experience, ‘Mystic Mac’ could put on a good show for the audience. His BJJ footage from a couple of weeks back was perhaps meant to showcase his grappling superiority, but it drastically backfired.

McGregor, who received his black belt in BJJ last year, can be seen in the footage catching his opponent in an armbar and making him tap out. Once the video went online, the fans responded with comments like “Why didn’t he showcase his Jiu-Jitsu skills against Khabib?” and“Dominating a whitebelt.”

His boxing practice once again left the fans underwhelmed and they made sure to let him know.

Fans went all out on Conor McGregor for his latest training montage

With a combined record of 22 victories and 6 defeats, Conor McGregor’s last combat victory came against Donald Cerrone back in 2020 at UFC 246. The fighter is 3-1 in his last four MMA fights and has been long left training to return to the sport. In addition to that ‘Mystic Mac’ has involved himself in various other stuff such as movies, business, etc. Looking at this and his training footage, a fan stated, “Bro the last time he won was almost 10 YEARS AGO (washed Cerrone doesn’t count). Why is this so surprising?”

Following his BJJ footage, McGregor broke down his strategy on how he approaches knockout finishes which suggests he has lot more left to give. “I am looking to KO finish. I remain upright, not connected to the frame but fully above and on top. I have 19ko’s in professional MMA. People often claim it to be my left hand standing as the shot that has awarded me my KO wins, but as usual “people don’t know shit about fighting” It is the positioning, accuracy and ferocity of my follow up work that has racked up my Ko wins for me. Take notes please cos I’m bored watching now and thats the truth and I am not alone in saying that,” he said.

Still, this isn’t enough for some fans, as one of them pointed out,“It’s BEEEN over.. The guy stopped training and stopped trying so long ago the game cuaght up with him..” Doubling down on these quotes, another social media user came forward to state that McGregor has been washed, “Absolutely washed.”

His recent confession about fighting Logan Paul has gained some traction, but no official confirmation has been made either by the extravagant Ambani family or Logan Paul. Still, this could be a hint that he sees his future in an exhibition in celebrity contests rather than a full-fledged MMA return.

A fan stated, “He’s never coming back.” Sharing the sentiment another fan wrote, “Mystic Mac is gone.” Notably, McGregor has headlined eight of the 10 highest-selling PPVs in UFC history. But it is possible that his star-power could be diminishing given the Dublin trial, which could be a big factor in his UFC return.

Last but not least, a social media user gave a reality check to the MMA fighter as he stated that a comeback for McGregor, “He cooked bruh, sad to see” 

Conor McGregor may return to the MMA field next year, but nothing can be said with certainty. Regardless, what are your thoughts on the hubbub? State your opinions in the comments below.