Conor McGregor, once the glittering crown jewel of the UFC, now finds himself entangled in controversy. His last appearance inside the Octagon came on July 10, 2021, at UFC 264, where a brutal leg break in the first round handed him a loss to Dustin Poirier. Since then, ‘The Notorious’ has spent more time making headlines for legal troubles than fight preparations. Still, McGregor continues to make grandiose promises about a comeback, but many remain skeptical, highlighting his current lifestyle and prolonged inactivity.
McGregor recently announced he has re-entered the UFC’s anti-doping testing pool after President Donald Trump proposed to host a UFC event on White House grounds during a ‘Salute to America’ event in Iowa on July 4, 2025. UFC President Dana White confirmed they are working on mapping out the event for an expected date around July 2026. McGregor was quick to express interest in the event, sharing his intentions to face Michael Chandler, a fight that was previously canceled in 2024 due to a broken toe.
Earlier this week, he shared a video on social media, claiming he had submitted his first blood samples. Despite skepticism from the public, the UFC Anti-Doping website confirms that McGregor has completed his first test session this year. Five days since then, the 37-year-old provided another update on Instagram, sharing a clip of himself shadowboxing in his gym to show he is in great shape and ready for action. “,” he captioned the post, but it quickly attracted attention from Jake Paul.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer demanded that McGregor retire from the sport immediately. “Bro just give it up lol,” Paul wrote in the comment section of the post. Interestingly, after Paul’s fight against heavyweight legend Mike Tyson last year, there were some talks of a fight between Paul and McGregor. However, Paul had made it clear that any potential clash—whether in boxing or MMA—could only materialize if McGregor’s promoter, the UFC, was on board.
In the end, all the speculation fizzled out, and the bout never came to fruition. Instead, Paul shifted his focus and ultimately faced former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Only time will tell whether McGregor will end up fighting on the UFC: White House. But in the meantime, his past rival has surprisingly kind words for him.
Khabib Nurmagomedov says Conor McGregor has to change how he is living
UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov has expressed concern over former rival Conor McGregor, as he urged the Irishman to reassess his lifestyle. During an event in New York, the 36-year-old reflected on McGregor’s recent legal troubles, including the one in 2024. “This is punishment, [but] the most beautiful part of this is Allah always give the chance to come back,” said Nurmagomedov. “He has to change how he is living.”
Credits: IMAGO
The Dagestani legend, who retired from the sport undefeated in 2020, had once shared one of the most popular rivalries in UFC history with McGregor. His recent statement comes in contrast to what he said after their 2018 clash. “Even if we see [each other] somewhere, we’re going to fight, 100%.” Now, however, it appears Nurmagomedov’s tone has shifted. “If he’s going to change, he can change with him so many other lives too… If he’s not going to change, it will be punishment all his life,” Khabib added.
Khabib Nurmagomedov seems to have changed his stance on Conor McGregor, but the fans continue to doubt McGregor’s return to the Octagon, and Jake Paul appears to be one of them. While McGregor seems to be providing regular updates, will this really lead to a fight? What do you think?
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