Morning Report: Chael Sonnen questions Conor McGregor ever fighting for UFC, BKFC: ‘He for sure cannot protect himself’

Conor McGregor stays one of many greatest names in fight sports activities, with ties to each UFC and BKFC. However will he ever combat once more?

Chael Sonnen isn’t so certain.

The veteran MMA analyst contemplated McGregor’s prospects in a current YouTube clip, questioning whether or not followers will ever see the previous two-division UFC champion return to motion, whether or not it’s within the octagon, within the ring, or elsewhere. McGregor has not competed since breaking his leg in a loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021, and contemplating he turns 38 this yr, has already had one of the crucial profitable careers in fight sports activities historical past, and is at the moment coping with yet one more spherical of sexual assault allegations, it’s unclear if his preventing days are completed.

A return to MMA doesn’t make sense so far as Sonnen is worried.

“What do you need to see Conor do?” Sonnen requested. “As a result of he’s underneath contract with the UFC, who has little interest in letting him go, and [BKFC President] Dave Feldman got here out and spoke about this and Dave Feldman’s obtained a advertising—he’s obtained this nice relationship with Conor. Conor has introduced rather a lot to these occasions. Displaying up, leaping within the ring, no matter it may be, however he has for certain introduced one thing to these occasions, and Dave Feldman was talking about it and he was tremendous candid about it, possibly essentially the most trustworthy any promoter has ever been on the topic an he mentioned, ‘[UFC has] him. They must assist us. They must be doing us a favor to launch Conor to us. I don’t suppose they need to do us a favor and it might assist us. However we’ve obtained an ideal relationship and we’ll see what occurs.’ It was essentially the most trustworthy reply you could possibly ever get. Dave Feldman’s nice.

“Nevertheless it does make you suppose as a result of I’ve by no means been open to that concept. I’ve by no means been open to it as a result of I perceive among the inside workings of what Conor’s going by. Simply within the testing pool, for instance. And this has already been examined as soon as and we needed to wait 180 days to get him again—I don’t imagine that’s the precise rule, it didn’t get examined—however we needed to wait 180 days to get him again, which we thought was going to clear him for UFC 300. Not solely did we not see him at 300, we’re not going to see him by 400. He merely is just not going to do MMA. Nor ought to he.”

Sonnen doesn’t simply suppose McGregor’s MMA days are numbered. He additionally puzzled whether or not McGregor ought to keep away from martial arts competitors altogether, on condition that he has alternatives within the leisure world outdoors of preventing and possibly ought to contemplate self-preservation above all else at this level.

“He additionally shouldn’t do any type of fight,” Sonnen mentioned. “It will not be protected for him to enter UFC Struggle Cross Invitational. It will not be protected for Conor to enter a grappling match. It will not be protected for him to enter an MMA match if the No. 1 and golden rule is to guard your self always, there’s no one underneath contract—not a top-10 man—there’s no one underneath contract with the Final Combating Championship that Conor might shield himself towards always.

“There’s no one underneath contract at [BKFC] the place Conor can shield himself always. Now, I’m not being impolite after I discuss this with Conor. These aren’t opinions. This wouldn’t be some new opinion. That is 5 years of proof throughout two totally different sports activities. He for certain can not shield himself.”

McGregor was set to return at UFC 303 this previous June for a grudge match with Michael Chandler, however withdrew as a result of a damaged toe. It was a uncommon pull-out for McGregor, who has prided himself on displaying up for fights whatever the circumstances. That call has Sonnen additional doubting McGregor’s willingness to step again into the octagon.

Ought to McGregor truly retire from preventing, Sonnen believes he nonetheless has loads of choices, however he’s curious as to how followers will obtain McGregor going ahead.

“I believe that Conor might rebuild,” Sonnen mentioned. “I believe that he undoubtedly might go and get a brand new identification. I don’t suppose that you just the viewers take a look at Conor because the UFC fighter remotely near as a lot as Conor thinks you see him because the UFC fighter. I don’t suppose you the viewers consider Conor because the boxer as a lot as Conor believes that you just see him as a boxer. I believe most of you see him as a drunk. I believe you’d affiliate him with Correct 12 earlier than the rest, I believe.

“I additionally suppose you see him as an entertainer and there’s plenty of methods to entertain. So I like Dave Feldman’s level. It will take some favors, it might take any individual making an attempt to assist, folks would come, and [Jeremy] Stephens vs. Conor we are able to make some actually nice matches there. We will re-do Eddie [Alvarez] and Conor. There’s no strategy to go mistaken with Conor. So should you have been to have a celebration and have the folks over and also you get to manage what the type of leisure is, would you slightly see him in a film and simply see him out? He’s out, he’s out of the combat recreation. Would you slightly see him as a promoter at an occasion, which does carry fairly good consideration. Or would you slightly see him within the UFC or would you slightly see him in bare-knuckle boxing? Not what do you suppose he’s going to do, the place would you most prefer to see Conor subsequent?”

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