A list of things to look forward to in 2024 has been growing over the last few months, and near the top of that list for many fans is the return of “The Notorious” Conor McGregor.
McGregor’s return seemed to face delay after delay as the former two-division champion jumped through USADA’s hoops. With the news of McGregor entering the USADA testing pool earlier this month, his return feels closer than ever.
Conor McGregor officially re-entered the drug-testing pool as of Sunday, October 8, USADA announced Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/daxRnTXzxb
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 11, 2023
While the bout versus opposing Ultimate Fighter coach Michael Chandler did not materialize, there are still a number of fascinating fights for McGregor, across multiple UFC weight divisions.
As a very wealthy man, finding the motivation to come back from the broken leg his suffered in versus Dustin Poirier in 2021 seems nearly impossible. But, McGregor is here to prove even further that he is special, and is on the cusp of one of the greatest comebacks the sports world has ever seen.
Following UAE Warriors on Tuesday in Abu Dhabi, McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh was asked about his opinion on how his fighter stays motivated.
“What’s his motivation at this stage? I guess you’d have to ask him, but it’s definitely something I’ve wondered about,” Kavanagh said. “When you’ve won the belts and you’ve gotten all the money, what is it that keeps you coming back? There’s only one thing that makes sense to me… You just love it. You just really enjoy it.
“If you take away somebody’s, let’s say financial motivation for doing something, you really learn what they want to do,” Kavangh continued. “He didn’t go off and pick up golf, he didn’t start doing fishing, he’s not someone to go on six month-type holidays. Wherever he goes, there’s a gym with him… trainers, nutritionists. That’s just been since the leg break, nothing has changed since then… The only thing that makes sense to me is that he absolutely loves the sport.”
Shortly after re-entering the USADA testing pool, McGregor had the following update for his fans:
I was tested two separate times yesterday, and within an hour of each other. Blood and urine. 3 samples of each were requested and given in both instances. They came aboard my yacht. I welcomed them. Gave them a can of @ForgedStout and a @ProperWhiskey. Life is good. š pic.twitter.com/cDEaaSgAKD
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) October 18, 2023