UFC 329 turned into a nightmare of massive proportions for Conor McGregor. The Irishman finally returned to the Octagon after more than 1,800 days, making his first appearance since July 2021, when he suffered a horrific leg injury against Dustin Poirier.
After dealing with a string of legal issues and a lengthy recovery, McGregor was finally back. Unfortunately for “The Notorious,” things went from bad to worse as he tore his ACL and meniscus before losing to Max Holloway in just 69 seconds. McGregor has since undergone knee surgery and is now facing another potential year-long layoff.
Despite the latest setback, McGregor has promised to fight out the final bout of his current UFC contract, with a potential trilogy fight against Holloway being discussed. However, plenty of fans remain skeptical that the matchup will ever happen. The Irishman has fought just a handful of times since 2017 and has gone 1-4 during that stretch, with his lone win coming against an aging Donald Cerrone.
That has also led some fans to question why McGregor returned to the Octagon in the first place. Now, Joe Rogan has offered his own theory.
Joe Rogan Says Conor McGregor Wanted to Prove He Could Still Hang With the UFC’s Best
During a recent segment of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan suggested that McGregor may have returned because he wanted to relive his glory days one more time. For the unversed, McGregor’s peak is widely regarded as one of the biggest turning points in UFC history.
His blockbuster fights against Jose Aldo, Nate Diaz and Khabib Nurmagomedov between 2016 and 2018 helped turn him into one of the biggest stars the sport had ever seen. However, McGregor is obviously in a very different place now, and Rogan believes the Irishman may have been chasing a taste of that old magic when he returned after nearly five years away.
He said, “Conor, for instance, like Conor’s last fight. Like, it seemed like Conor was doing it to show that he could still do it. It seemed, and I don’t know, you know, I didn’t talk to him. I haven’t had a conversation with him as a person, but it seemed like he wanted to be on top again.”
Rogan suggested that McGregor wanted to prove he could still compete with the best in the world, particularly against someone like Holloway. He added, “He wanted to show that he could go out there and still beat a world-class fighter like Max Holloway and just show that he could do it.”
Rogan also pointed out that money probably isn’t the motivating factor for someone like McGregor, who has built an enormous fortune throughout his career. Instead, he believes the desire to be the best could still be driving the former two-division champion.
He said, “And you got to wonder, is that the best motivation for a guy that’s worth half a billion dollars and is living in the lap of luxury? Is he just chasing that ‘high’ or is he chasing that dream?”
Joe Rogan says Conor McGregor’s last fight felt like an attempt to prove he still had what it takes to compete at the highest level.
“Conor’s last fight, it seemed like Conor was doing it to show that he could still do it. And I don’t know, you know, I didn’t talk to him. I… pic.twitter.com/cSQBMRxmeE
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Rogan also believes McGregor’s career trajectory changed after his blockbuster crossover boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, which reportedly earned the Irishman around $100 million.
Reflecting on McGregor’s rise, Rogan said, “So, like when he knocked out Jose Aldo, he was chasing the dream. He was a juggernaut. He was storming through the division. He was knocking everybody out. He looked like this guy that had this phenomenal talent and this special charisma, and he looked like a guy who was chasing this, this thing, this dream, this dream of becoming a world champion.”
Rogan then pointed to the Mayweather fight as a potential turning point in McGregor’s career. He further added, “So, then you achieve it, and then I think the big derailment was the Floyd Mayweather fight, right? He leaves MMA, trains in boxing for a while, has a great performance against Floyd Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of all time, does 10 rounds with him, which is insane.”
McGregor celebrated his 38th birthday on July 14, and his future remains one of the biggest questions surrounding his career. With just one fight left on his current UFC contract, “The Notorious” has plenty to think about while recovering from another major injury.
If McGregor does make one final walk to the Octagon, it could be the closing chapter of one of the most remarkable careers in MMA history. But if UFC 329 ultimately turns out to be his last appearance, there will be plenty who understand why he decided to walk away.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
