Chael Sonnen would find "evil pleasure" if Max Holloway is right and Conor McGregor never returns to octagon

Chael Sonnen believes Max Holloway could well be right, as the Hawaiian recently stated that Conor McGregor never promised he'd return. Sonnen, a big fan of McGregor, admitted he'd take "evil pleasure" if Holloway's prediction came true.

Much of 2022 so far has been dominated by the anticipation of the return of the UFC's biggest star, Conor McGregor. 'Notorious' suffered a freak leg break injury in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier last year that looked like it could end his career.

Despite now having a metal rod inserted into his leg, the Irishman continues to post videos of himself training while regaining full fitness. Each post from McGregor fuels fan speculation about who his future opponent might be.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen spoke about a recent interview with Max Holloway. The Hawaiian mentioned that while he's interested in fighting McGregor, the 33-year-old never confirmed he'd return to the octagon.

"If the big announcement for Conor's [McGregor] turned out someday to be that he's not going to return, do you know what an evil pleasure I would take in that? Do you know how happy that would make me, for reasons I can't explain...At the same time I'd say 'Son of a b*tch, he did it again!'."

There is no official word from the UFC about McGregor's return yet. However, UFC president Dana White recently revealed he's confident the Irishman will step foot into the octagon by the end of the year or early 2023. White believes a fight between Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler is one to make.

Catch Chael Sonnen's latest YouTube video here:

---

Could Max Holloway be trying to get a rematch with Conor McGregor?

Max Holloway may be right that Conor McGregor has never officially confirmed his return. However, Chael Sonnen believes it could also be a ploy to try to antagonize the Irishman.

Holloway's featherweight future is in doubt as he heads into UFC 276's trilogy with with Alexander Volkanovski. He is already 0-2 against the Australian in a head-to-head. 'Blessed' revealed it could well be his last walk to the octagon at 145lbs, even if he reclaims the title.

In the same video, Sonnen admitted he wouldn't be surprised if Holloway was trying to get a rematch with McGregor.

"I think Max is a great guy to turn to on the whereabouts of Conor McGregor... It’s a very weird concept. Not to mention, what if Max didn’t even mean it? What if that was Max’s way of trying to get his name associated with Conor to try to get a rematch with Conor... If a guy is speaking, and he is doing anything less than negotiating, he is a fool. I don’t think Max is a fool.”

Max Holloway and Conor McGregor fought each other early on in their UFC careers in 2013. McGregor won the bout on the judges scorecards despite a complete ACL tear early on in the second round.

If the two men were to run it back, it could make for one of the most entertaining fights in UFC history. Both Holloway and McGregor have feircly loyal fans. They each remain two of the biggest stars to have ever fought in the featherweight division.