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It's been over a year since Conor McGregor last set foot inside the octagon. The entire MMA world has been waiting for his return with rising anticipation. However, the gruesome nature of the injury that sidelined him has led to a tremendous amount of resources to enable his recovery.
Upon his return, the Irishman will be returning to a promotion that differs from the one he left behind. Now, there are new champions in the two divisions that he exhibited a chief interest in, i.e., lightweight and welterweight. Furthermore, the blistering rise of undefeated phenom Khamzat Chimaev took place in his absence.
Additionally, other issues have risen that could render Conor McGregor's highly anticipated 2023 return a less-than-stellar outing. In fact, it's possible that 2023 could be the worst-ever year for 'The Notorious.' This list details the five reasons why that may be the case.
#5. Conor McGregor will struggle to find an easy matchup
Conor McGregor can compete in both the lightweight and welterweight divisions. He is a former champion at 155 lbs but hasn't tasted victory in that weight class since 2016. His last three bouts at lightweight were all losses, and his most recent defeat was the most damaging one.
'The Notorious' will almost certainly select an opponent of some renown upon his return. While Michael Chandler is a winnable fight, it's also incredibly dangerous due to the nuclear heat in 'Iron's punches and his wrestling skills. The top five fighters at lightweight are all difficult foes for the Irishman.
Dustin Poirier has already defeated him twice. Justin Gaethje's low kicks will cripple him. Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush are elite-level grapplers who will most likely submit him with little effort. His other option lies at welterweight.
However, the entire top five at welterweight is crawling with high-level wrestlers and grapplers. Meanwhile, strikers in either division would be difficult foes, especially Stephen 'Wonderboy' Thompson, who would outclass the Irishman in a manner never seen before.
There is no highly beatable but recognizable name like Donald Cerrone for 'The Notorious' to warm up against. Upon his return, only the divisional killers will be waiting.
#4. Conor McGregor will be 35 years old next year
It's been difficult for many of the Irishman's fans to accept, but he's no longer at the height of his physical powers. He's now in his mid-thirties and has missed a considerable amount of time to nurse a crippling injury. While the doctors prevented him from any serious training, everyone else has been improving.
Furthermore, many of the current fighters are younger than he is. Next year, Conor McGregor will turn 35 years old. It's possible that he might not be as sharp as he once was. If this is, in any way true, he'll encounter significant difficulties at 155 lbs and 170 lbs.
He's not going to get faster or more explosive the closer he gets to his forties. Age is especially important in the smaller weight divisions. While heavyweights and light heavyweights can compete well into their late thirties and even their early forties, the same cannot be said for the lower divisions.
#3. His injury will likely have lingering effects
Anderson Silva is one of the greatest mixed martial artists of all time. However, after suffering a devastating leg injury, he was never the same ever again. The Brazilian great went from being capable of a 16-fight win streak in the UFC to being incapable of winning two straight fights.
Upon his return from injury, 'The Spider' lost six of his next seven MMA bouts before retiring. Conor McGregor suffered a similar leg injury. The only difference is that he fights in two potential divisions that are far more stacked than middleweight ever was during 'The Spider's reign.
It's very likely that upon his return, 'The Notorious' will not be the same fighter he was prior to suffering the injury. Fighters are never the same after returning from injuries of that severity. Furthermore, the Irishman's confidence when it comes to throwing kicks could be compromised.
#2. The gameplan to beating him is now well-known
Conor McGregor is an exceptional striker. However, he has certain holes in his game, as do all fighters. However, the blueprint needed to defeat him is now well-known due to him being the most-watched fighter on the roster. Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, and Dustin Poirier all showed variations on how to beat the Irishman.
Conor McGregor is mainly a counterpuncher. Thus, he fights from a specific distance that reinforces his defensive and offensive striking. He fights from a wide, bladed stance that allows him to bounce back and forth with blistering quickness. He uses this to stand half an inch or so beyond his opponent's punching range.
By applying pressure and needling his foes with non-committal strikes, he forces them to fire back. After an opponent obliges and swings, McGregor hops backward, so his foe's punch falls short. He then hops back in with a crushing straight left over the top.
Unfortunately, the specific distance he needs can be disrupted. Nate Diaz and Floyd Mayweather both tucked their chins and used a high guard to block his straight left as they marched him down. Every time they stepped forward, they shortened the Irishman's preferred counterpunching distance.
This forced McGregor to hop backward to try and reestablish that distance. But as they marched him down continuously, he had to constantly reset his distance, which undercut his counterpunching and exhausted him. Meanwhile, Dustin Poirier showed how useful a check hook could be against 'The Notorious.'
Oftentimes, McGregor leans his torso far forward as he throws punches. This adds an extra inch of reach to his punches, but it causes him to lead with his chin and run into check hooks. There's ample footage on McGregor that opponents can now use to plan for his octagon demise.
#1. Conor McGregor might return at middleweight
In the last two months, Conor McGregor has made headlines due to his new physique. The Irishman has bulked up considerably since he last stepped inside the octagon. The amount of muscle mass he is now carrying has convinced a section of UFC fans that 'The Notorious' will fight at 170 lbs.
However, according to the former two-division champion himself, he intends to take his chances in the middleweight division. If he does indeed go through with this claim, it will only end in a disastrous manner. He'll be far too small to fight any serious 185'er.
While outliers like Kelvin Gastelum and Robert Whittaker exist in the weight class, they're former welterweights. Meanwhile, Conor McGregor was once small enough to fight as a featherweight. He'll be at such a massive strength and size disadvantage that the results will likely be comical.
He won't possess anywhere near the power needed to hurt any quality 185'er, nor does he possess the chin to absorb blows from fighters whose natural weight class is middleweight.
