Conor McGregor’s longtime SBG teammate James Gallagher has claimed that after a long absence from fighting following his blockbuster boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr last year, ‘The Notorious’ has now rediscovered his desire to fight.
“[Conor] looks better than ever,” Gallagher said in an interview with MMA Fighting.
“He’s got that fire back inside of him. When you’re on the top of the world like he’s been for so long, you need to chill out for a little bit to get that hunger back. It’s hard to keep that hunger when you have everything that you’ve ever wanted.
“While he’s been away, Khabib has been creating some hype and getting himself in a position to fight Conor. There are a lot of people who see Khabib as a serious threat, so I think that’s given Conor a push to step up and say, ‘Nah, mate, I’m the champ around here — you’re not on my level.’ I think Conor’s going to show Khabib who’s boss and put him back in his box.”
McGregor will no doubt be paid handsomely, win or lose, at UFC 229 on October 6th, but according to Gallagher it’s the thrill of the big fight and the challenge that Nurmagomedov presents that has lured the superstar back into the Octagon.
“Conor could wipe his ass every morning with a €500 note and it would be just a drop in the ocean for him, so the real part of this he’s interested in is the challenge. You can buy all the cars and everything else, but you can’t buy a challenge like this. The thrill of competition is what is driving him.
“Conor has beaten everyone the UFC have put in front of him. He climbed to the top of a division and he won a belt, then he won another belt…he loves a challenge. People are saying that Khabib is the guy now and I know that Conor is thinking, ‘I’m going to show all of these people again’. He’s got a fire inside of him to show everyone who is the boss.”
