Getty Conor McGregor
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor said that he has been offered a coaching role on “The Ultimate Fighter.” And the Irish superstar appears interested in taking it.
“Notorious” has been out of action since breaking his leg while fighting Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021. He revealed in November that he fully intends on fighting this year. But before that, fans may watch him coach on the UFC’s long-running reality television franchise.
McGregor shared a photo via Instagram on Wednesday of himself before his first stint coaching on “The Ultimate Fighter.” Notorious squared off against former WEC featherweight champion Urijah Faber in 2015 during the show’s 22nd season.
“This is a snap from the original ultimate fighter house,” McGregor wrote. “Where I coached vs urijah faber. This photo was just before the show tho. It was right before I won my first world title beating urijah team mate chad mendes around. I then went on to coach the famous fight show straight after the fight. With a big black eye and a gash, my tricolor, and my new and first ever ufc gold belt, I waltzed into the notorious fight gym in Las Vegas. The slickest suits and shouts the show had ever seen before. On top of the silverware. And I coached my team to victory. Crazy. Some journey.”
McGregor then went on to reveal the news. “I have just been offered to coach this role again,” Notorious wrote. “I like it. It is full immersion which is needed.”
See McGregor’s photo below via the embedded Instagram post:
McGregor’s post comes a day after he was accused of attacking a woman in Spain while they were on his yacht celebrating his birthday. McGregor has denied the allegations.
McGregor’s Head Coach Said He’d Bet His House on Notorious Returning to the Cage This Year
McGregor’s longtime head coach John Kavanagh appeared on MMA Fighting’s “The MMA Hour” and he told host Ariel Helwani that he’d “bet his house on it” that McGregor would make his UFC return this year.
“I’d be willing to bet my house on it,” Kavanagh said. “I was actually just chatting with him yesterday or the day before and then [his manager] Audie [Attar] was in town.
“Yeah, I think there’s some interesting negotiations going along now. I absolutely can’t say anything beyond that, but I’m very, very confident that we’ll see Conor back in the octagon this year.”
Kavanagh Wants McGregor to Choose an Opponent That’ll Motivate Him
Kavanagh doesn’t have a specific name in mind in terms of McGregor’s next Octagon foe. He just wants his pupil to choose a fighter that’ll motivate him enough to live the life of a top-tier fighter.
“I’m asked this so often and I have to be honest when I say I really don’t mind,” Kavanagh said. “What matters to me is that, let’s say I’m seeing Conor this week and we’re chatting and he says a few names and I see a name particularly gets the eyes open, particularly gets his pacing up and down the living room and showing me what he’s going to do and what he’s not going to do. That would be absolutely the most important thing for me, is that it’s a name that’s going to excite him.
“Because for Conor, for training for this next fight, he’s definitely got to find something that’s massively motivating to him to get him out of the silk pants and into the sweaty gym. What’s it going to be? A couple million more? Is that really going to motivate him? I don’t think so. He has a couple championship belts. Is that it? I don’t think so. So I think it’s more going to be a particular opponent, a particular skill set and how it matches up against him.”