09 January 2023 , 15:16
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Conor McGregor has been told he must "humble himself" when he makes his return to the octagon later this year after expressing world title ambitions.
The Irishman is a former two-weight world champion, simultaneously holding featherweight and lightweight gold after his last title win in 2016. But it's been over six years since then, and the likelihood that he will return to the cage and challenge the likes of Leon Edwards or Kamaru Usman appear to be slim.
Comedian and former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub is confident that McGregor will make a comeback this year, listing Michael Chandler and Tony Ferguson, two natural lightweights, as prospective opponents. But he reckons that thinking in terms of belts after just one win in half-a-decade is a step too far, even for a fighter who has defied the odds as much the Irishman.
Discussing whether or not McGregor will step into the octagon this year, Schaub said an interview with The Schmo : "I think he does and I think he gets a [Michael] Chandler or Tony Ferguson fight. He needs to humble himself a little bit. He can't go straight for like, a [Islam] Makhachev, that ain't ever happening."
Schaub is also concerned that his massive bulk to over 195lb will rule out ever fighting at lightweight again, meaning he has to return at welterweight. "He is not making 155lb," Schaub added. "So it's going to have to be like, a Chandler or Tony Ferguson at 170. He can't fight the tip of the spear right now. You can't take all this time off and then jump in and fight the kings. It don't work like that."
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McGregor is currently out of the USADA drug testing pool, and it seems that he would need a six-month process once he returns to testing before he can fight. He reckons that he will get through with an exception and be allowed just two tests next month and is planning then to book a fight.
He is considerably bigger now than when he suffered his broken leg almost two years ago against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He broke the leg stepping back from a kick and has had a difficult road to recovery, which has been full of controversy due to his frequent social media outbursts and a number of well-documented legal issues.
But he is still one of the biggest stars in the sport, and is constantly in the headlines despite taking what will ultimately be a nearly two-year absence from competition. He has recently finished filming a remake of Road House with Jake Gyllenhaal, and is keen now to focus on his imminent return to action.