Conor McGregor's Coach Looks Beyond UFC 329 Return Fight With Major Career Update

Conor McGregor’s head coach John Kavanagh has provided an interesting update on the Irish star’s fighting future beyond UFC 329.

“The Notorious” is now just a few days away from what will be his first fight in five years, as he’s scheduled to headline UFC 329 opposite Max Holloway in a rematch of their 2013 meeting where McGregor got his hand raised via unanimous decision.

That first fight between the two men was contested in the featherweight division, where McGregor initially went 7-0 to kick off a UFC career that saw him claim the promotion’s 145 lbs. title with a 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194.

John Kavanagh Doesn't Expect Lightweight Return for Conor McGregor

That win over Aldo marked the last time that McGregor competed at 145 lbs., as he moved on to face Nate Diaz in back-to-back welterweight outings before winning the lightweight belt from Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

No one in the combat sports bubble is expecting McGregor to return to featherweight at this stage of his career, but Kavanagh also recently claimed that it isn’t looking likely his fighter will return to lightweight either.

Conor McGregor exits the Octagon following his championship victory against Jose Aldo during UFC 194 at MGM Grand Garden Arena. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“You’re going to have to do something really big to get Conor at 155 again,” Kavanagh revealed to mixedmartialarts.com. “170 is a comfortable cut for him now, and he’s got the frame for it. He certainly has the strength for it. He’s always had an unusual – he’s got that orangutan reach, so he’s
comfortable at that.”

McGregor famously became the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history when he knocked out Alvarez to win the lightweight belt at UFC 205, just shy of a year after he also stopped Aldo to win the promotion’s featherweight belt.

Conor McGregor reacts during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

“The Notorious” never ended up defending either of his UFC titles, as he moved on to box Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017 and didn’t return to MMA until he met Khabib Nurmagomedov in a bid to reclaim the lightweight belt at UFC 229.

Conor McGregor's Last Win Came in UFC Welterweight Divison

Overall, McGregor has competed at 155 lbs. four times during his UFC career, including in his two most recent appearances against Dustin Poirier in 2021.

Poirier avenged his previous featherweight loss to McGregor when he stopped the Irishman with strikes in the second round at UFC 257. Their trilogy fight at UFC 264 also came to an end after the first round due to a broken ankle that initially kicked off what has now become a five-year layoff for the former two-division UFC champion.

Conor McGregor reacts following an injury suffered against Dustin Poirier during UFC 264 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

UFC 329 will mark the fourth time that McGregor has competed at welterweight in the UFC. “The Notorious” initially moved up to 170 lbs. at UFC 196 when Diaz stepped in on short notice to replace Rafael dos Anjos and submitted McGregor before the Irishman secured a majority decision in their immediate rematch.

Conor McGregor celebrates his first round TKO victory against Donald Cerrone following UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. | USA TODAY Sports

McGregor’s last welterweight outing was also the last time he got his hand raised in the UFC Octagon. The soon-to-be 38-year-old stopped Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in just 40 seconds at UFC 246, and now he’ll welcome Holloway to the welterweight division for the first time when the two men rematch at UFC 329 on Saturday night.

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