Conor McGregor believes he is on the road to redemption.
The former two-division UFC champion has not competed in more than four years, with McGregor last seen inside the Octagon losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 after suffering a broken leg. Since then, McGregor has been making headlines for a variety of reasons (McGregor has spent much of 2024 promoting his starring role in the film) Roadhouse) to the political (earlier this year, McGregor declared himself a presidential candidate in his native Ireland but withdrew from consideration as his candidacy received little support) to the evil (McGregor was found guilty of sexual assault in November in a civil lawsuit stemming from a December 2018 incident in Dublin).
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Combat Sports Anti-Doping, the official drug testing partner of the UFC, also recently announced that McGregor is currently serving an 18-month suspension for failing to report his whereabouts to the organization three times. Through it all, the 37-year-old BKFC shareholder has vowed to make a comeback, speaking about his lifestyle changes at a BKFC press conference in Italy on Thursday.
“Of course it’s not just an accident that I’m here,” McGregor said. “There is a higher power, God, that determines my journey and all of our journeys, and I live by God's word. Since that time you mentioned in your last event, I have been on a spiritual journey and I have been saved. I have been healed. Behind this, the world is going to be in for a treat. The spark that I once had in my heart to compete is now a roaring fire, so I'm super excited.”
“I was itching to get back and now I have to get myself in there and I've done that. I'm very, very excited to get back to myself.”
McGregor did not specify what changes he had made to compete again or what issues were holding him back. McGregor was once scheduled to fight ultimate warrior 31 In June 2024, McGregor coached opponent Michael Chandler at UFC 303, but McGregor withdrew from that bout due to a broken toe.
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BKFC founder David Feldman also spoke at Thursday's press conference, praising McGregor's unspecified changes and touting McGregor's potential return to the UFC.
“There are a lot of people in the world who need to change their lives but they don't because they don't have the guts, they don't have the guts, they don't have the perseverance, and I just want to take this opportunity to take my hat off to Conor McGregor for making the changes that he has to make,” Feldman said. “It's not going to be easy and when Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon, you're going to see the best Conor McGregor you've ever seen.”
McGregor recently stated that his plan is to return at the planned UFC White House event, which is expected to take place on June 14. UFC CEO Dana White dismissed McGregor's claims that he has been offered the historic card, although he acknowledged McGregor's interest in fighting there.