With “The Ultimate Fighter 31” premiering Tuesday night, the countdown to Conor McGregor’s Octagon return begins in earnest.
“It’s time for me to get back in the game,” McGregor said in an interview on the UFC YouTube channel. “I’m excited to be back. I couldn’t turn down the offer.”
The former two-degree UFC champion has said that training for the long-running reality show has been beneficial to his development. McGregor previously served as a coach against Urijah Faber at ‘TUF 22’ in 2015.
“I enjoyed myself last time,” said McGregor. “For me when I start teaching, I was coaching a boxing class [for John
Kavangh] Many years before I got into the UFC… I committed to coaching a class and training two people, it almost forced me to call a little bit more. I had to think about the technique. I had to think about how I was going to study, and why I was teaching. It actually allowed me to get better. It works both ways. She helps me.”
Before McGregor can be officially booked against opposing “TUF 31” coach Michael Chandler, he must once again enter USADA’s drug testing pool. UFC President Dana White recently offered a schedule indicating McGregor vs Chandler could happen by December if all goes as planned.
When McGregor steps into the octagon, it will be his first fight since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He vowed that he would be “the greatest comeback in combat sports,” while also pointing to a more consistent fight schedule.
“What do I wish for in this world? I wish for a hundred more fights,” he said. “I hope for consistency. I hope to run. I’ve been turning this on and off and off for the last while. I just want to have that nice consistency. And I hope now when I come back that’s where he’s at.”
McGregor has only fought four times after becoming a concurrent Division II champion with a win Eddie Alvarez in 2016. In an ideal world, he says he’d like to get close to that number on a yearly basis.
three or four [fights per year]. “If we can get where I need to get to, three or four would be perfect,” said McGregor. “One is crazy. It’s been one year…Obviously it’s been a little longer with the leg. It’s what it is…I’m happy with where I am, I’m going to keep doing my stuff, I’m going to keep training, I’m going to keep getting better. I’m going to keep focusing on what I can Do it. Sooner or later you’ll be able to do it all. That’s kind of where I’m at. I’m in a great place.”