Footage has emerged of UFC icon Conor McGregor wrestling MMA star Brendan Loughnane as the Irishman looks to make a sensational return to the cage next year.
McGregor hasn’t fought since his first-round loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021, when he suffered a brutal leg injury.
The former two-division champion claims he will return to the cage in April after a three-year hiatus as he insists he will compete at UFC 300.
Preparations for his return are already in full swing as the Irishman was recently spotted training in Dubai with PFL star Loughnane.
Loughnane, the winner of the 2022 PFL Featherweight Tournament, has uploaded several photos with the Irishman over the past week but recently shared a video of McGregor working on his wrestling.
Recent footage has emerged of Conor McGregor training with MMA star Brendan Loughnane
The Irishman hasn’t fought since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021
The 35-year-old can be seen wrestling the PFL star in Dubai
The video shows the former two-division champion sprinting on the spot, then falling to the canvas before landing a takedown.
Loughnane captioned the post on X – formerly known as Twitter: “Comeback season.”
John Kavanagh, McGregor’s long-term coach, commented on the video with a funny “did we just become best friends” gif from the movie Step Brothers.
It’s fair to say the Irishman looked sharp with his wrestling and takedowns – with the 35-year-old desperate to return to the Octagon.
As mentioned, McGregor used social media to confirm his interest in fighting at UFC 300.
However, his coach believes his star fighter will make a sensational return to the Octagon in the summer – perhaps in time for International Fight Week.
Speaking The MMA hourKavanagh said: “We were hoping for April. That was the hope. That was what we were told. And now it seems to be summer.
‘Don’t know [why]. That’s literally what we had a little back and forth [about] Today.’
McGregor’s long-term coach, John Kavanagh, couldn’t help but reply with a funny Step Brothers gif
McGregor hopes to make a sensational return to the Octagon next summer
Dana White confirmed that the UFC was targeting a summer date for McGregor’s return.
Speaking to Mail Sport, White said: ‘He’s good, he’s ready.
‘He wants [fight]. He must serve six months before he can reenter the drug testing pool. So realistically… he could be looking at him next summer.”
White and Kavanagh’s comments are in stark contrast to what the ‘Notorious’ claimed a month ago when asked about his UFC return in Saudi Arabia. “I’m in a great place, my body is completely healed and hopefully [I’ll be back in] April,” McGregor told TNT Sports.