Ben Askren isn’t sure about Conor McGregor’s fighting future.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) and Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC) are slated to fight after Season 31 of “The Ultimate Fighter” wraps its broadcast run (Tuesdays, ESPN/ESPN+ through Aug. 15).
McGregor hasn’t competed since he broke his leg in a TKO loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021 and has been gearing toward a return ever since. But Askren hasn’t seen anything from McGregor that shows he’s hungry to compete against the top again.
“When was the last time you’ve seen a training video of Conor McGregor? Every video I see, he’s partying, he’s dancing, he’s drinking,” Askren said on his “Funky & The Champ” show. “I don’t know. Is this guy taking it seriously anymore? And listen, he’s rich. He can do whatever he wants, apparently. But we also don’t have to consider him a really elite fighter. He needs to prove that to us again.
“I am not under the belief that Conor McGregor is ever going to fight regularly. I just saw he came out saying, ‘I’m going to fight three or four times in the next year.’ That ain’t going to happen. Come on, man. He’s fought four times in six years. Why would he fight three or four times in one year? That’s crazy talk – and I’m not even convinced he’s (going to wind up) fighting Michael Chandler.”
Askren’s co-host, Daniel Cormier, told him McGregor has submitted his first sample to the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), but Askren isn’t sold on that, either.
“That would be step No. 1,” Askren said. “I don’t think he’s actually submitted a sample. Maybe I’m being a hater here. Maybe I’m being a skeptic, but I want to see him fight someone. He’s 1-3 in his last four. That is over the last six years. He has the one win against Donald Cerrone. He just hasn’t been active at all. We haven’t seen him since July of 2021. That was almost two years ago.”
McGregor is the sport’s biggest star and already has accomplished plenty, including when he became the UFC’s first simultaneous dual champion. Askren thinks his best days are behind him, but against Chandler, Askren isn’t completely counting him out.
“I think Conor in his delusions of grandeur probably still sees himself at the top of the heap and probably still sees himself getting another belt,” Askren said. “And there’s a chance, because listen, here’s the thing about Michael Chandler – and I love Michael Chandler; he was my college teammate – but every Michael Chandler fight is almost a coin flip.
“There’s a chance he’s going to kill this dude. There’s a chance he’ll just go boom and put him down. But then he’s going to try some crazy sh*t and there’s a chance he might get put down. McGregor hits hard. I don’t know. I want Michael to win, but it could go either way, and if it goes either way, and it’s a huge fight, they might throw him in for a title. Who knows?”
