Ben Askren Says Conor McGregor Will Never Draw the Same Numbers Again at UFC

Published 01/26/2022, 11:30 AM EST

There is no doubt that Conor McGregor is UFC’s biggest superstar. McGregor has been away from the Octagon due to an injury and his fans have been waiting for his comeback. The fighter still does not have a fight on the line yet. However, fans expect him to be a part of some spectacular fights. After all, he has several great rivals in the lightweight division.

However, welterweight Ben Askren feels that the Irish fighter’s upcoming fights would not generate the same level of excitement as they used to. This is because McGregor has lost several of his previous fights. These include his bouts against Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier.

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Despite being inactive because of a leg injury at UFC 264, ‘The Notorious’ managed to be in the news by getting into Twitter arguments with other fighters.

In a recent conversation with MMA Island, Askren spoke about several UFC fighters. Conor McGregor was one of them. “When McGregor was competing for UFC titles, there was so much hype around him,” Askren said. “And now a McGregor fight is still a big fight but it’d not the same thing that it was, right?”

“I mean we’re thinking when he’s getting ready to fight Jose Aldo or Eddie Alvarez, those fights were just so gigantic and nowadays lost, three or four maybe or four or five, something like that.”

“People will be excited for the next Conor McGregor fight, but they are not going to be as excited as they were back then,” he added.

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When will Conor McGregor return?

Whether or not Ben Askren is correct can be gauged only when McGregor returns. It would be interesting to see if his future fights are as much of a crowd-puller as they used to be.

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McGregor aims to return in 2022. According to reports, there is a possibility that he could get a direct title shot as well. But if that doesn’t happen, he has several great opponents to fight. Michael Chandler has shown interest in fighting against McGregor. This would be a huge fight.

Once Conor McGregor’s next fight gets confirmed, it would be interesting to see what new he brings to the octagon.

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Do you agree with Ben Askren’s thoughts on McGregor? Let us know in the comments below.

Watch this story: Boxing Schedule For February 2022: Keith Thurman vs. Mario Barrios, Amir Khan vs. Kell Brook, And More

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Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.

Ben Askren Says Conor McGregor Will Never Draw the Same Numbers Again at UFC

When will Conor McGregor return?

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