"Return of the Mac", "Against another nobody" - Fans react to Conor McGregor's latest sparring footage ahead of UFC 303 return

MMA fans have been reacting after Conor McGregor released his latest sparring footage ahead of his UFC 303 return next month.

The Irishman is set to make his highly anticipated comeback when he faces Michael Chandler at International Fight Week. Their bout is set for June 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Following the announcement of their clash, much has been made about McGregor and how he will look in the octagon. 'The Notorious' has been out of action for almost three years following the leg break injury he suffered against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

The break required immediate surgery, which involved a metal rod being inserted into his leg. Whilst some fighters who have suffered similar injuries have never quite looked the same, McGregor is adamant he's going to step back into the cage better than ever before.

McGregor then tried to demonstrate that fact with a clip from his latest sparring sessions.

Watch the clip here:

Fans of the UFC star have understandably had their say, with many excited at the prospect of seeing Conor McGregor compete once again. One fan wrote:

"Return of the Mac👊"

Another fan said:

"We are so back!🔥"

One fan added:

"Chandler is a dead man."

Not all the responses were positive, however, with a section of fans critical of the level of opponents McGregor is sparring. One fan said:

"Against another nobody"

Another fan wrote:

"Sparing a garbage can"

X user @anpalacios5 responded:

"Yes bc we know how stacked SBG is with world class level fighters"

Check out more reactions here:

More fan reactions

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Ilia Topuria wants to face Conor McGregor at Santiago Bernabeu in Spain

Ilia Topuria has outlined his plans for the future, which include facing Conor McGregor at Real Madrid's esteemed Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

After winning the featherweight title in stunning fashion against Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria appears to be gearing up to make his first title defense against newly crowned BMF champ Max Holloway.

While it's often said fighters should never look past an opponent, Topuria appears to have already laid out his plans, which is to face McGregor after he knocks off Holloway.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Topuria said:

"I hope to defend the belt with Max Holloway and then I want to fight Conor McGregor. If he wins his upcoming fight [vs. Michael Chandler], that's the fight I'm looking for. It's gonna be the biggest fight in MMA history... The biggest pay-per-view, the biggest everything. We going to have like 80,000 people watching the event in the arena... It's gonna be in the [Santiago] Bernabeu."