Ricky Hatton’s Message to Conor McGregor Before UFC 303 Comeback Resurfaces After His Tragic Death

While Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez stole the boxing headlines last week, September 14 delivered heartbreaking news with the passing of one of Britain’s all-time greats, Ricky Hatton. The former world champion was found dead at his Greater Manchester home at just 46, with the cause of death still unknown. Nicknamed ‘The Hitman,’ Hatton captured multiple world titles at light-welterweight and welterweight, and famously stepped into the ring against Floyd Mayweather in 2007 with a flawless 43-0 record.

After retiring in 2012, Hatton was set to stage a comeback in December 2025, but fate had other plans. Interestingly, his story mirrors that of another combat sports icon, Conor McGregor, who is also eyeing a long-awaited return. Before his passing, Hatton even shared some valuable advice with the Irishman as he eyes his 29th MMA bout. 

Ricky Hatton Saw Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler as the Ultimate Litmus Test for the Irishman

MMA fans know McGregor hasn’t stepped into the Octagon since UFC 264, nearly four years ago, when his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier ended in heartbreak after he suffered a broken leg. Hopes were high for a comeback at UFC 303 in June 2024 against Michael Chandler, but that fight never materialized owing to the Irishman’s pinky toe injury. 

Around the same time, Hatton shared some advice for McGregor, drawing from his own experience. After being knocked out by Manny Pacquiao in May 2009, Hatton stepped away from boxing before attempting a comeback in 2012. 

He admitted he needed to know if he still had it, but after suffering a knockout loss to Vyacheslav Senchenko, he accepted retirement with a 45-3 record. Hatton and McGregor only crossed paths briefly, meeting in Riyadh at a fight, but the Englishman’s words carried weight. 

In a DAZN interview in January 2024, he said he hoped McGregor would beat Chandler, not just to win, but to answer that same question for himself. “I had to find out if I still had it, and I found out that I did not have it anymore,” Hatton said at the time. 

He added, “And then I went into retirement happy then, having found that out, and I hope Conor McGregor gets the same thing. I hope he wins [against Chandler] and I hope we see him in plenty more fights because he’s Mr. Entertainment, isn’t he? But if he hasn’t still got it, Conor McGregor will know.”

ALSO READ: Conor McGregor Officially Confirms Exit from Irish Presidential Race Ahead of October 24 Election

Rest in Peace Ricky Hatton! 🙏 pic.twitter.com/bliQ6txY3Z

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 14, 2025

He further added that the test of another outing in the Octagon will be a litmus test for the former double champion if he should continue with his UFC career or continue with his other endeavours outside the cage. 

He concluded with, “Conor will know if he’s still got it or not, and he’ll know if he needs to knock it on the head and to keep doing the other things he does. I needed to find out if I still had it against Senchenko, and I didn’t. And I think Conor’s probably reached the same position in his career that I found myself in ten years back.”

Back in 2016, ahead of UFC 202, Ricky Hatton told TMZ that McGregor reminded him a lot of himself. While acknowledging that boxing and MMA are different, Hatton praised McGregor’s charisma, massive fan following, and larger-than-life character. 

He also advised the Irishman to take care of his finances, a point McGregor seemed to follow through on when he mirrored Hatton’s own clash with Floyd Mayweather in 2017, creating the second-biggest boxing spectacle of all time.

Sadly, their careers share darker parallels as well. Hatton openly battled drugs, alcohol, and depression after his fighting prime, and many believe McGregor has faced similar struggles, with excessive partying dimming the warrior spirit that once defined him. 

Recently, McGregor even withdrew from the Irish presidential race after failing to secure enough local council support to get on the ballot. Still, hope for his fighting career remains alive. With UFC’s historic White House event set for next year, both Dana White and McGregor himself have hinted that ‘The Notorious’ will headline the card, signaling a long-awaited return to the cage.