Sean
O’Malley believes Conor
McGregor isn’t the same fighter after his recent years of yacht
life during his prime.
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McGregor hasn’t fought since July 2021, when he suffered a broken
leg in a trilogy clash with Dustin
Poirier at UFC 264. Despite McGregor having gone 1-3 in his
last four bouts, the Irishman’s return to the Octagon remains
highly anticipated.
After months of teasing a return fight with Michael
Chandler, McGregor recently
announced that he will be fighting the former Bellator
MMA champ during the International Fight Week on June 29.
O’Malley believes the former
UFC two-division champion isn’t as good as he was during his
heyday. However, O’Malley also believes “Notorious” still has it in
him to put on a show if he is really “dialed in.”
“I’m a huge fan of Conor and I would be very excited to watch him
come back and compete. He’s looking good, he’s posting little
videos here and there training, looks like he’s grappling a lot. So
he’s very skilled, but what sets people apart is obviously the
mindset — if he can get back on that,” O’Malley recently told
ESPN.
“You’re not going to be as good as you were if you were training
and grinding for years, and then you’re living on a yacht and doing
these things. You just aren’t going to be the same guy. So it’s
just what you do for those three months. For three months if he’s
dialed in and laser-focused on the task at hand, I think he’ll show
up and put on a performance.”