It sounds like the UFC is close to officially having Conor McGregor back.

For months now, rumors have been swirling about the return of Conor McGregor and who it would be against. Recently, most of the rumors agree that Donald Cerrone is the most likely opponent for McGregor and McGregor himself recently said that he would be fighting at UFC 246 in January. Well, according to his manager, everything seems to be on track for all that to be true.

Speaking with South China Morning Post, McGregor’s manager Audie Attar revealed that McGregor’s team is deep in negotiations with the UFC about his return and hopes to make an official announcement in the coming weeks.

“I would say that talks have been progressing,” Attar said. “We’ve met them, we’re in close communication with them. I would hope that an announcement could happen in the coming weeks, but at the end of the day, it’s still a work in progress,”

The last time McGregor stepped foot in the cage was last October at UFC 229 where he was beaten down by Khabib Nurmagomedov before tapping out in the fourth round. It was, arguably, McGregor’s worst performance in the UFC and one that he has since blamed on a foot injury and a lack of motivation. The lack of motivation would be understandable; after all, McGregor has made countless millions and no longer needs to fight. However, Attar says that the loss has in fact reinvigorated McGregor’s competitive drive.

“I always knew he wasn’t going to end on that note,” Attar said. “He never has to fight one fight more in his life. At the end of the day, that’s the thing people forgot about him; he actually is a competitor. He dares to do things differently. He strives for greatness and dreams for things that nobody thought that he could accomplish, and he’s doing that again. That’s what’s exciting. It’s exciting to be a part of that and witness that and see that fire in him again. I love it.”

And, according to Attar, this is just the beginning. When McGregor entered the UFC in 2013, he was one of the most active fighters in the company, competing 2-3 times a year. But since claiming the UFC lightweight title and becoming the organization’s first “champ-champ” in 2016, McGregor’s pace has slowed down dramatically. He fought zero MMA fights in 2017, instead taking part in The Money Fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr, and then returned to MMA and fought Nurmagomedov in 2018. Attar believes that slowdown also played a part in his performance against Nurmagomedov and expects that once these negotiations with the UFC get settled, McGregor will get back to being a full-time fighter.

“When you look back to when he was winning fights, he was fighting often,” Attar said. “He wasn’t fighting once a year, he was fighting often, he was staying active...

“I don’t see him slowing down. I think that fighting once a year for the last couple of years, it’s almost like it’s grown his appetite to stay active. In any sport, the more reps you take, the better you get. He’s no stranger to becoming a world champion multiple times over. He knows what it takes.”

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LISTEN UP

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SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

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FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

James Gallagher (10-1) vs. Cal Ellenor (8-2); Bellator Dublin, Feb. 22.

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FINAL THOUGHTS

Do me a favor and read this. Then Tweet me some questions for this week. You’re the best. Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.

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EXIT POLL

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