Conor McGregor will get a chance to fight in front of his home fans next after a fight between himself and Cole Miller was confirmed as the headliner for UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin, Ireland on July 19th.
McGregor has made an instant impact in the UFC, as much due to his outspoken antics outside of the Octagon as much as his slick skills inside of it that have resulted in a 2-0 start to his UFC campaign so far.
‘Notorious’ tore his ACL during his victory over Max Holloway in August of last year though, so he’s had to undergo surgery and a long period of rehab since which has kept him out of action for almost a year.
“I saw my doctor and received full clearance to return to fighting with no restrictions on training,” McGregor said after the fight was announced yesterday.
“It has been a long road to recovery but I am back and I am more ready than ever to bring the UFC back to Dublin on July 19.”
During McGregor’s absence Miller has managed to notch up two victories against Andy Ogle and Sam Sicilia, and he’s been making a point to call out McGregor after each fight, apparently unhappy with the fact that the Irish fighters appears to be getting fast-tracked to stardom since joining the UFC.
“After beating two guys in the UFC, Conor is not ready for Jose Aldo’s title,” Miller says of his rival. “He could be the second coming for all I care; he’s got to earn his way up the ladder like everyone else. Especially when the people ranked in that top ten, which is where I should be, have worked hard for a long time.
“I expect lots of boos from the Irish fans, but I will be mentally preparing myself for this type of environment. Ireland may be Conor’s home, however I’m the one with 16 fights in the Octagon, seems to me like I’ll feel a lot more at home in there than he will.”
It’s been over five years since the UFC last came to Ireland, so the fans will be excited to finally get another event that’ll not only give them a chance to cheer on their local hero, but also take in other fights like Gunnar Nelson Vs Ryan LaFlare in the co-main event and Brad Pickett Vs Ian McCall.
