Whereas followers could also be accustomed to seeing Conor McGregor outdoors the Octagon extra usually than it lately, ex-UFC star, Chael Sonnen has claimed throughout the Dubliner’s preventing prime, he has an actual argument as the very best fighter to ever compete in blended martial arts.
McGregor, a former two-weight champion below the banner of the UFC, has but to make his return to motion since he fractured his left tibia and fibula over three years in the past in a primary physician’s stoppage TKO defeat to bitter rival, Dustin Poirier.
And planning a return to motion subsequent 12 months, McGregor dominated himself from a slated UFC 303 headliner with Michael Chandler on the welterweight restrict again in June after fracturing a toe simply weeks from the pairing, nonetheless, has a super opponent in thoughts for a brand new 12 months comeback.
Explaining plans to battle as quickly as February within the Center East, McGregor, 36, claimed he could be dealing with off with surging Metropolis Kickboxing ace, Dan Hooker in Saudi Arabia — to the backing of UFC CEO, Dana White.
Chael Sonnen heralds Conor McGregor as finest fighter of all-time
With out a victory since a 2020 knockout victory towards former light-weight title challenger, Donald Cerrone in his most up-to-date stroll on the welterweight restrict, in response to former championship chaser, Sonnen — throughout his preventing prime — which noticed Conor McGregor scoop two Octagon straps, the Dubliner has an argument to the declare of the very best fighter to ever compete in blended martial arts.
“The very best boxer (Floyd Mayweather) that sport has ever seen, he (Conor McGregor) went thirty minutes with him — that’s Conor,” Chael Sonnen mentioned on his YouTube channel. “The opposite stuff that you simply’re seeing, a man that isn’t keen to let go of his identification. A man who loves his craft a lot, however that’s not the half.”
“In the event you wanna spin the story, that must be remembered,” Sonnen defined. Conor McGregor was really, really — maybe, the very best fighter that’s ever executed this.
Starting his Octagon tenure with a seven battle unbeaten run, McGregor would first rack up an interim featherweight title win over Chad Mendes, stopping the veteran with a second spherical TKO — earlier than then unifying the crowns with a record-setting 13-second knockout of Brazilian star, Jose Aldo.
In 2016, McGregor would grow to be the primary two-weight champion to carry each belts concurrently within the historical past of the promotion with a dominant second spherical knockout of then-lightweight kingpin, Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 in Madison Sq. Backyard.