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If there is one thing you can say about Conor McGregor, and let’s face it, there are many, it’s that the Irish UFC star is not afraid to act against public opinion. He rarely takes much notice of what critics, or even his own fans, might warn him against, and in many ways, that’s part of his charm.
However, news of a possible boxing bout with online influencer Andrew Tate, who is often cited as one of the most hated men in the world, has not been taken well by a large number of those both in McGregor’s camp and outside of it.
Tate, considered a dangerous misogynist who quite bizarrely has become a respected figurehead spokesman for a section of troubled young men, is a former kickboxer and by all accounts has a 43-9 record as a professional, although evidence for this is sketchy at best.
McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC since losing to Dustin Poirier for the second time back in July 2021, and that has come at a detriment to the sport where betting on the UFC, as well as pay-per-view audiences, are always at a high when he’s in the ring.
Off and On Again
Talk of a possible fight between the pair has been ongoing, and Tate has made it clear that he has specific conditions ahead of a possible clash, stating on the prospect of the fight;
"That’s an interesting one, I guess,"
"I mean, he is still in his prime; I’m a lot bigger than him. He is very good, very capable. We would certainly have a lot of good trash talk. It would make a lot of money, but again I would need a personal problem with him to fight him. I have nothing against Conor, kind of like the guy, so there would have to be a good reason."
McGregor is likely to return to either the boxing ring or the UFC cage in 2023 as he looks to complete his recovery from a broken leg, and he is said to be interested in a move back to boxing.
He last fought in the ring against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 in a fight that attracted a massive 5.3 million subscribers to the pay-per-view services offered by both Showtime and Sky Box Office and no doubt a fight with Tate, who has a massive following, would be significant, albeit probably less than for McGregor’s previous ring action.
McGregor has talked up his love of boxing in a recent interview with Sky Sports, stating;
"Boxing is my first love in combat sports,"
"I had such a great time the last time I was out there. Obviously, my return will be in the octagon for UFC. That story is far from over; in fact, it's just being written. It is just the beginning, but boxing, for sure, I will grace the squared circle again in the future." McGregor added.
Lawsuit
Meanwhile, McGregor is looking to resolve another beef via the cage and not the courtroom as he faces a defamation lawsuit from Artem Lobov. Lobov has been seeking millions for his work in launching Proper 12 whiskey, with the former MMA fighter looking to bank 5% of the $600 million that was made from the sale to Proximo Spirits.
Commenting on the lawsuit, McGregor was typically flagrant with his language and called out his former friend;
“Artem is trying to sue me and my father for defamation now as well,”
“Oh lord, god bless. Artem, you look like an uncooked sausage of a thing. Jump on the pan for a minute, pal; you look rough, mate. God bless ya, pal.”
McGregor then escalated matters by directly calling out Lobov for a fight;
“This is a call out to Artem, the fanny, fairy pad, Lobov,”
“I’m challenging you to a fight tonight at 10:30 p.m. I’ll meet you down at SBG Concorde, and we’ll fight for the whole lot. Going through having lawyers message me about defamation and all this suing and all.”
“You’re a little blouse, mate. I’ll see you, SBG Concord, tonight at 10:30 p.m., and I’ll fight you for the whole lot. Answer this f****** call out, you little blouse.”
UFC Return
Many McGregor fans would rather see the fighter do his talking in the cage or ring than in such spats, and it’s clear that he has some unfinished business in the UFC. He is now back in training and looking to make a comeback, but a return may be delayed due to guidelines set by the United States Anti-Doping Association (USADA) that states that a fighter must be tested six months before they can fight.
McGregor wants to return early next year and tweeted recently;
“I am clear for testing in February. I will complete my two tests per USADA, and we are booking a fight.”
But that would require McGregor securing an exemption, which the USADA has previously given, but comments from Averi Walker, their director of communications, suggest that isn’t likely to happen in this case;
“(Conor) McGregor is not enrolled in our testing pool and would have to be for six months unless an exception is granted, which we do not think would be applicable.”
Whatever your opinion of McGregor, it’s undeniable that as an individual, he’s an entertaining presence and a character that the UFC very much banks on, so you can expect a return to some form of action in a matter of months but whether that will be up against Andrew Tate in the boxing ring or in MMA is hard to say at this point.
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