Coach John Kavanagh Drops Major Hint About Conor McGregor Returning Soon

Former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor may be stepping into the octagon sooner than his fans expected. The Irishman’s longtime coach, John Kavanagh, recently stated that McGregor was in training camp and sent fans into a frenzy. 

McGregor has been out of action since July 2021, when he snapped his leg during a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. Due to the injury, ‘The Notorious’ was forced to the sidelines for over two years. During his time off, McGregor underwent extensive surgery and physical rehabilitation. However, he made his public return as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler earlier this year. 

When Dana White announced McGregor and Chandler as TUF 31’s coaches, he also dropped major hints about the two explosive lightweights facing off before the year ends. Unsurprisingly, fans were extremely excited and were eagerly awaiting further news. However, their excitement was rather short-lived. ‘The Notorious’ has been embroiled in a battle with USADA to submit his testing samples. He is currently out of the testing pool and will be required to spend six months in it before he’s eligible to fight again. 

The head coach of SBG Ireland gym, where Conor McGregor trains, recently gave the Irishman’s fans new hope. John Kavanagh recently took to Instagram to share a picture of him meeting MMA legend Royce Gracie in Dublin, Ireland. In the caption, Kavanagh explained why McGregor was absent and wrote:

“Unfortunately, he couldn’t join us, but he’s in camp right now.”

Interestingly, the timing of the post coincides with Conor McGregor finally earning his Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt. Coach Kavanagh recently awarded the former two-division champion his black belt after over a decade of training under him. It remains to be seen if McGregor’s new achievement proves to be an encouraging factor leading to his return. So far, Michael Chandler is most likely his next octagon challenge.