UFC star Conor McGregor might be returning to the UFC spotlight a lot sooner than originally anticipated.
McGregor hasn’t fought since a doctor’s stoppage loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. He’s been recovering from a leg injury ever since but seems to remain intent on a return to the Octagon this year.
An exact timeline for McGregor’s return is uncertain and he still remains absent from the USADA testing pool. He’ll have to be signed up for the pool for six months before being eligible to fight.
Amidst this expected 2023 wait, McGregor seems to have a gig lined up ahead of his highly anticipated return to the Octagon.
Conor McGregor Teases TUF Coaching Gig
In a recent Instagram post, McGregor alleged the UFC has offered him another go-around coaching The Ultimate Fighter.
“This is a snap from the original ultimate fighter house. Where I coached vs urijah faber,” McGregor posted. “This photo was just before the show tho. It was right before I won my first world title beating urijah team mate chad mendes around. I then went on to coach the famous fight show straight after the fight. With a big black eye and a gash, my tricolor, and my new and first ever ufc gold belt, I waltzed into the notorious fight gym in Las Vegas. The slickest suits and shouts the show had ever seen before. On top of the silverware. And I coached my team to victory. Crazy. Some journey.
“I have just been offered to coach this role again. I like it. It is full immersion which is needed. I see fighters lining up. I know whats ahead I been ready motherfuckers.”
McGregor coached opposite Urijah Faber during his first stint as a TUF coach in 2015. Later that year, McGregor won the interim featherweight title against Chad Mendes before knocking out José Aldo in a unification bout.
McGregor is in some legal trouble outside of the Octagon. He’s in a heated dispute with his former teammate Artem Lobov in court and was recently accused of assaulting a woman last summer.
McGregor isn’t the only big-name UFC fighter interested in coaching TUF. Gilbert Burns recently pitched a coaching showdown with Colby Covington to entice Covington toward a fight.
If McGregor’s claims are true, Michael Chandler might be in the running to be his coaching adversary. McGregor and Chandler have been linked to a fight over the past year.
The next season of TUF is expected to kick off later this year. According to McGregor, he’ll be a key presence in the upcoming show.
What is your reaction to Conor McGregor potentially coaching The Ultimate Fighter again?