This year marks three years since UFC former two-division champion Conor McGregor went on hiatus after sustaining a “career-ending” injury during a gruesome battle with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. Since then, he has been out of the octagon, although he has attempted to return multiple times. His latest effort was back in June when he aimed to resume fighting at UFC 303 to fulfill his remaining two fights under contract.

However, a “pinky toe” injury derailed those plans, pushing the fight into limbo and frustrating his already designated opponent, Michael Chandler, who had waited over 18 months for his “red panty night.” This situation has left McGregor’s return in an indefinite state, leading fans to question whether he will ever return to the octagon and what his legacy will be.

Recently, Chael Sonnen raised these questions in a brief video on his Instagram, asking, “Conor McGregor—what will his legacy be? Have we forgotten how great he was?” He further questioned the UFC superstar’s commendable achievements, which irked McGregor. The fighter reacted by sharing the clip on his Instagram story, clapping back at Sonnen with, “I’m not done. It’s too handy for me to come back at any time at all and just swipe the game up again entirely. Every walk is a record.”

This isn’t the first time McGregor has hinted at a comeback. At the recent BKFC event, while speaking with Ariel Helwani, McGregor confidently announced his planned return, saying, “It will be 2025.” Yet, longtime supporter Alexander Hernandez expressed that McGregor might be better off staying retired. Let’s take a closer look at the reasoning behind Hernandez’s statement.