Conor McGregor Names Three Targets In Dramatic UFC Return
By Afouda Bamidele on August 15, 2023 at 1:30 PM EDT
Conor, 'The Notorious' McGregor, has confirmed his long-awaited return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship [UFC] with an aspiring three-fight plan!
The professional mixed martial fighter has been away from the ring since he suffered a severe leg fracture in July 2021 during his second consecutive loss to opponent Dustin Poirier. He will establish his return, announced during an appearance at the O2 Arena London over the weekend, with a fight against three of his biggest rivals, starting with Michael Chandler.
Conor McGregor Is Set To Return To The Octagon In December 2023
Taking a minute from the boxing match between Robert Helenius and Anthony Joshua, McGregor confirmed that he would battle it out with Chandler in December. Sharing his plans, the 35-year-old revealed that he intends to step into the octagon twice more by 2024 — first by assessing his skills through a face-off against Justin Gaethje and then by closing the trilogy with a fight against Nate Diaz.
According to Marca, before his return to the UFC, he had to adhere to six-month anti-doping testing and achieve a minimum of two negative tests, as he was removed from the USADA testing pool, which monitors active athletes.
Although an athlete officially registered in a United States competition or circuit remains within the testing group, McGregor's case differed as he was temporarily removed due to extended inactivity.
Regarding his appearance at the O2 Arena, TalkSport reported that the Irishman had entered accompanied by his group of ring girls. The decision to have his entourage of ring girls was a strategic move to draw attention to his Forged Irish Stout, which sponsored the event.
He took it a step further by enlisting the support of IBF bantamweight world champion Ebanie Bridges, who not only sported Forged Irish Stout merchandise but also participated in the event by pouring pints.
However, besides launching a marketing strategy, the former Featherweight and Lightweight Champion had sat ringside in support of Joshua. Just before the fight, he had gushed via X:
"This man Anthony Joshua is the definition of class, quality, and loyalty! What him and Eddie Hearn have built is just absolute magic! I cannot wait to witness AJ Powerhouse do work this weekend and live from ringside! Wow! Honoured! Let's go!"
The Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey Founders Exerted Excessive Force During A Scripted Conversation
In June, The Blast shared that McGregor appeared at Game 4 held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, where he disclosed that his TIDL Sport cooling pain relief spray had become an official sponsor of the Miami franchise.
Although he was met with boos from Heat fans as he took over the microphone during an on-court interview, the Heat's mascot, Burnie, approached him wearing oversized boxing gloves and seemingly ready for a playful altercation.
After a moment of them assessing each other, the former Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight champ unexpectedly delivered a left hook to the mascot's head, causing his hat to fall off and sending the mascot to the ground. The forceful actions towards Burnie did not sit well with the crowd, resulting in further boos echoing throughout the arena.
As the mascot was escorted off the court, McGregor delivered another blow before spraying him with his pain relief spray. Unfortunately, the punches caused the mascot to fall, leading to the person inside the suit requiring medical attention.
The individual in the costume was subsequently taken to a nearby emergency room, administered pain medication, and later discharged. While the incident was prearranged and scripted, McGregor's punches seemingly carried excessive force, potentially going beyond the intended boundaries.
Given that the Black Forge Inn owner has been absent from fighting for over two years, it is plausible that he got carried away in the excitement of the moment, perhaps without realizing the impact on poor Burnie.
Adding to the unfavorable turn of events, the Miami Heat faced a defeat against the Denver Nuggets with a score of 108-95, granting the Nuggets a 3-1 advantage in the series. However, the loss did not stop basketball fans from taking to social media to share their jokes on Burnie's unfortunate clash with McGregor.
Writing under a clip of the incident, one person noted, "😂😂😂 in the video, the second punch looked like it hurt," and a second stated, "Imagine being in the suit thinking 'that went well' and see him approach for another punch 😭."
