MMA journalist Ariel Helwani has shared a major update on Conor McGregor‘s long-awaited UFC return. Helwani pointed to real progress and feels strongly that ‘The Notorious’ will fight this summer.
McGregor has expressed a desire to return to the octagon and made it clear that the opponent did not matter. He was previously linked to the UFC’s White House event, but was ultimately left off the card.
Now, it appears the promotion is planning a big return for McGregor that could see him headline International Fight Week. According to Helwani, the Irishman’s patience could be rewarded after the UFC faced criticism over the quality of its events.
In addition, the promotion also received criticism from Ronda Rousey, who voiced frustration with its direction.
Ariel Helwani Shares Latest Conor McGregor Update
Ariel Helwani shared the latest update on Conor McGregor’s UFC return by pointing to the current landscape of the sport.
The MMA journalist noted that the UFC is in dire need of star power. After growing frustration within its active roster, Helwani said the promotion need McGregor back to regain positive morale.
“This is my I continue to say, the master of good timing, the beneficiary of the best timing in the history of the sport is [McGregor],” Helwani said during The Ariel Helwani Show. “I told you about the meeting two weeks ago, I told you it went well, Petsey [Carroll] told you it went well. At this point, I think it would be safe to say it would be a disastrous situation, something disastrous would have had to have happened if he’s not fighting on Jul. 11.”
He added: “They need this now more than ever, they need this guy on that [International Fight Week] card.”
McGregor vs. Max Holloway in the Works for UFC’s International Fight Week Event?
Helwani also speculated about the possibility of McGregor facing former featherweight champion Max Holloway. ‘Blessed’ is coming off a BMF title loss to Charles Oliveira. However, he remains a fan favorite who matches up well with the Irishman.
McGregor and Holloway fought in featherweight bout in 2013, where ‘The Notorious’ earned a unanimous decision victory. Both fighters went on to achieve great success and built legendary careers. McGregor became a two-division UFC champion, while Holloway captured the featherweight, later moved to lightweight, and won BMF championship.
Holloway recently expressed interest in facing McGregor in a rematch. Helwani believes ‘Blessed’ could be hinting that a fight is already in the works.
“Max [Holloway] is very cerebral, Max is very calculated when he says things,” Helwani said during The Ariel Helwani Show. “Charles [Oliveira] isn’t getting that [McGregor] fight after that [BMF title] fight. I don’t even think Conor wants a BMF title. I think Max is trying to tell us something there.”
He added:
“With Nate [Diaz] out, it feels like [Holloway] is trying to tell us like, ‘This is what I want.’ And I don’t think he’s talking if things aren’t happening behind the scenes,” he said. “These talks are going well and I think they’re going well because the UFC recognizes, ‘Hey, we need to make this happen.’”
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