UFC commentator Jon Anik believes Conor McGregor is eager to be a more active fighter.
McGregor has been rehabbing the broken leg he suffered during his trilogy match against Dustin Poirier in July of 2021. The Irishman is getting closer to a return and claims he will face Michael Chandler in June.
If Conor McGregor does return in June, Jon Anik believes the Irishman will look to be more active and return to his active schedule of fighting two to three times a year.
“It depends on what his appetite is for cutting back down to 155lbs. If I have any sort of negative thing to say about Conor McGregor’s career, it’s that he only has one win at 155lbs in the UFC, when he beat Eddie Alvarez for the undisputed lightweight championship. I have always said that Conor McGregor’s appetite for more MMA greatness, more MMA legacy is such that he will come back and get back in a more regular competition cycle. I think we have to give him the benefit of the doubt because of the leg break,” Anik said about McGregor on The Sitdown w/ Malik Wright.
“I truly believe had his leg not broken, he would have stayed in that active competition cycle that saw him fight Dustin Poirier for the second and third time in a relatively small window. So, I do believe he has an appetite for getting back into a regular competition schedule and once he gets to that first fight, I don’t think it’s out of the possibility he will turn around in three or four months,” Anik continued.
But, before Conor McGregor can get into that active fighting schedule, he must first return from his nearly three-year-long layoff.
Anik shuts down 165lbs division
When Conor McGregor does return, there has been a rumor he will face Michael Chandler for the inaugural 165lbs title. However, Anik says that isn’t something he has heard and isn’t sure the UFC is interested in doing it.
“The UFC opening up a 165-pound division, I haven’t heard that internally. I think that’s just rumor mill stuff, but if ever there were a time to do that and try to create a championship for Conor McGregor, granted he hasn’t won a fight in four years, maybe this would be the time to strike on that initiative,” Anik said.
UFC CEO Dana White has also been reluctant to start a 165lbs division, so it does seem unlikely to ever happen. But, as Anik says, McGregor opening up that weight class would likely be the only way to do it.
