Michael Bisping expects Conor McGregor to be in top form when he returns to the UFC.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is projected to fight Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 18-5 UFC) in early 2024. He has filed paperwork to re-enter the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency testing pool, which would make him eligible to compete in April after completing the mandatory six-month period of testing.
McGregor will return from a nearly three-year layoff after breaking his leg in July 2021 – an injury that the likes of Anderson Silva and Chris Weidman weren’t able to properly rebound from. UFC CEO Dana White questioned McGregor’s desire to compete, but Bisping has an inkling that McGregor will come back strong.
“Call me crazy, I think he’s going to come back and look great,” Bisping said on a recent episode of his “Believe You Me podcast.” “I think that he’s going to be motivated. I think now he has six months to really turn it on. I know Dana came out and was asked about it at a press conference recently and said you know, maybe he hasn’t got that same hunger because he’s a very, very wealthy man. And that’s true. That is definitely a point, and we see him living his flamboyant lifestyle and rightly so. He’s earned that.
“But you’ve got to remember: A guy that can reach the levels that he did, become a two-weight champion, there’s work ethic there, there’s discipline there, and there’s insane natural ability. And a guy that has that, if you give him six months, he can get that back again in my opinion because there’s two things you can’t buy. You can’t buy the UFC lightweight championship of the world, and you can’t buy respect as a fighter. And that’s something he holds dear to his heart.”
McGregor will look to snap a two-fight losing skid in his return. He has achieved plenty in his UFC career, becoming a dual-champion and the sport’s biggest draw. Despite the millions of dollars that he’s made, “The Notorious” insists the fire still burns to compete.
