Conor McGregor has vowed to prove the idea he doesn't work as hard after achieving massive success is no more than a myth when he returns to action.
The former two-weight world champion is far and away the biggest star in MMA history, and has made hundreds of millions from his career in the octagon. But after making his first nine-figure payday for a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather in 2017, fans have theorised he is struggling to maintain his work ethic.
Backing this theory is McGregor's poor record since the Mayweather bout; he's gone 1-3, fighting less than once a year since that bout with the boxing icon. But he has also suffered severe injuries in that time, including a broken foot in the lead-up to his 2018 MMA return against Khabib Nurmagomedov and his broken leg last year against Dustin Poirier.
And responding to a fan's message of support on social media last week, the Irishman confirmed that he plans to work incredibly hard once he is cleared for a return to action next year: "The premise of 'I don’t work as hard as I used to since succeeding financially' will be debunked fully. You are going to witness insanity in scientific form."
The Irishman is currently awaiting a February date when he believes he will be clear to re-enter the USADA drug testing pool, at which point he can begin working towards booking a fight. There is debate over how long he will have to be tested before making his return, with the standard procedure being that he must take six months before getting back.
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He is expected to make his comeback at welterweight, instead of lightweight where he fought Poirier twice in 2021. He is 2-1 at 170lb having traded wins with Nate Diaz in 2016 before knocking out Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone within seconds of his 2020 comeback fight in Las Vegas.
McGregor is believed currently to be around 190lb, after bulking up considerably during his time away from the octagon. And he won't be getting back to 155lb where he was already crowned champion in 2016, instead opting to go searching for an unprecedented world title at a third weight class.
