The return of Conor McGregor to the world of mixed martial arts, at this point, seems inevitable, with many suggesting that he will be back in action at the upcoming UFC 329 event.
Of course, while Conor McGregor is easily the biggest modern star in the history of the sport, that doesn’t necessarily mean that there’s overwhelming joy and elation at his potential comeback. It’s been five years since he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier and in that time, the Irishman has been involved in countless controversies, leading to a serious decline in his popularity both in his home country of Ireland and around the world.
Conor McGregor, undoubtedly, changed the face of the Ultimate Fighting Championship and helped transform them into an absolute juggernaut. With that being said, we are talking about someone who has been away from active competition for half a decade, and someone who appears to have more enemies than friends in this landscape.
Still, this is Conor McGregor we’re talking about here, and if anyone knows how to make magic happen, it’s him – or at least it was.
The Conor McGregor dilemma
When discussing who exactly Conor is going to face off against in his return fight, one thing people fail to recognize is that when push comes to shove, it really doesn’t matter who it is. This is all about the narrative of the biggest star in the history of the sport returning for, perhaps, one final moment in the spotlight before riding off into the sunset once and for all.
The rehabilitation of his image hasn’t exactly gone to plan in the last year or so, no matter how much money he still seems to be making away from fighting. If Conor can get back to his roots, or at least appear as if he’s doing so, then maybe there’s a chance that he can gain back some of the supporters that he’s lost.
The performance needs to be spirited, but so does the lead-up, and so does the desire for forgiveness after a transformation that has been unsettling to say the least. Over to you, Notorious.