Conor McGregor's Business Partner Makes Bold Claim About UFC Star's Condition in Training
Conor McGregor's business partner David Feldman has claimed the UFC star is currently 'better than in his prime', as McGregor eyes a return to the Octagon. McGregor, who has not competed since 2021, is desperate to return on the planned White House fight card scheduled for 14 June.
Feldman's Confident Assessment of McGregor's Readiness
David Feldman, the president of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship where McGregor serves as a part owner, offered a glowing assessment of the Irish fighter's current condition. "The best 10-times Conor McGregor you have ever seen right now," Feldman told Uncrowned on Thursday. "Better than he was when he was in his prime. The most focused, wants to do everything right."
Feldman elaborated on McGregor's current regimen, stating: "He's training his ass off each and every day, he's eating right, he's going to church. He's doing everything that he's supposed to do. This is not the Conor McGregor we have seen in the past couple of years. This is the best Conor McGregor that I've personally ever seen."
McGregor's Long Road Back to Competition
McGregor has not fought since 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier. The 37-year-old fighter has battled legal issues more than in-ring opponents in recent years, but in his prime he was a fighting phenom. After knocking out the great Jose Aldo in 13 seconds in 2015 to unify the UFC featherweight titles, McGregor added the lightweight belt in 2016, becoming the first fighter to hold two UFC titles simultaneously.
However, his UFC career trajectory changed when he ventured away from the Octagon to box Floyd Mayweather in 2017. Since that crossover bout, McGregor has gone 1-3 in the cage, beating Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in 2020 but losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018 and Poirier twice in 2021.
Contract Complications and Comeback Plans
While UFC president Dana White has been coy about McGregor's chances of featuring on the White House card, McGregor has increased his training intensity and claimed to have undergone a spiritual and physical transformation in recent months. Feldman expressed confidence about McGregor's return, stating: "I am sure that the UFC wants Conor McGregor to fight. He's gonna fight and they are going to make it work. It makes sense for him to fight at the White House. My confidence level is probably around a 99 per cent."
This comes as McGregor has claimed his UFC contract is void due to the promotion's move away from a pay-per-view model, which is part of its new broadcast deal with Paramount+. "They've got a new deal with Paramount... and my contract essentially is void right now, because there's no more PPV, whereas my contract was based on PPV sales," McGregor claimed on a live stream with Caylus.
McGregor, who describes himself as "the highest-generating PPV fighter of all time [in the UFC]," added: "The PPV system is done. I'm due a new contract, so we're going into negotiations in February, and I'm very interested to see how it goes."
Recent Setbacks and Financial Standing
McGregor was due to return to the UFC in June 2024, but he withdrew from a long-awaited bout with Michael Chandler on two weeks' notice, citing a broken toe. Despite his competitive hiatus, McGregor remains a significant financial force in sports. In 2022, Forbes ranked McGregor at No 35 on its list of the world's highest-paid athletes for that year, demonstrating his enduring marketability even during his fighting absence.
As negotiations continue and training intensifies, the combat sports world watches closely to see if McGregor can translate Feldman's confidence into a successful return to the Octagon after nearly five years away from competition.
