Chael Sonnen shared an honest opinion on Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC, stating that the Irish superstar stands no chance against the current roster of fighters.
In a recent YouTube video, Sonnen discussed McGregor’s potential comeback and dismissed the idea of him securing a win upon his return. The analyst went as far as to suggest that ‘The Notorious’ would be the worst fighter in his division upon re-entering the octagon.
“There is not an athlete under contract with the UFC that Conor can beat. That’s not meant to be mean. The worst, the least experienced 155-pounder would clean him up. The worst, the least experienced 170-pounder would clean him up. If Conor was to come back and enter at 55 or enter at 70, he would be the worst in the entire division. Not because he wasn’t great, just cuz he hasn’t been doing it.”
Sonnen also emphasized Conor McGregor’s shift in mindset, highlighting the impact of his injury in the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. He pointed out that being away from consistent elite-level training whether due to injury, movie projects, or lack of focus has likely diminished McGregor’s ability to compete with the best.
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“We saw the vast change in Conor when he came back and fought Poirier. I mean, he went from stopping a guy to getting stopped. That is one hell of a swing… Sport gave us a reminder, something for us all to learn. Got to be focused on it. Now it’s not even a question. He had the injury. See—being out because you’re making movies or being out cuz you’re not fully focused.”
Check out Chael Sonnen‘s comments below (7:03):
McGregor has been out of action since his first-round loss to Dustin Poirier in their trilogy bout at UFC 264. He was initially scheduled to make his comeback against Michael Chandler at UFC 303 but was forced to pull out due to an injury.
Recently, the Irish star made headlines by expressing that he is not currently focused on returning to the octagon. Instead, he announced his intention to run for the presidential election in Ireland.
Michael Chandler insists Conor McGregor must face him If he returns to the UFC
Speaking with The Schmo, Michael Chandler reacted to the news of Conor McGregor running for president of Ireland. Chandler wished McGregor good luck but asserted that if McGregor ever returns to the UFC, he must fight him before anyone else to settle the rivalry that started on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31, where they were opposing coaches. He said:
“He knows his road back to the UFC goes through me. We have to finish The Ultimate Fighter 31. We still have a contract with both of our names on it, even though he was not a man of his word in showing up. First time he’s ever pulled out of a fight was against me in his entire career. I don’t think he wants that to be his legacy. However, if he does, I wish him well in his presidential run in Ireland. But if he comes back to the UFC, he has to fight me.”
Check out Michael Chandler’s comments below (7:21):
Edited by Tejas Rathi
