Conor McGregor Gives NSFW Response to Ben Askren’s Criticism of UFC Return Sparring Clips

“I gave my first blood test, [which] is what the plaster is on my shoulder. I am ECSTATIC! I’m in SHAPE!” exclaimed Conor McGregor, following former U.S. President Donald Trump’s revelation that he wished to host a UFC event on the White House lawn. Even UFC CEO Dana White expressed enthusiasm at the prospect, with July 4, 2026, being floated as a potential target date. Since then, the UFC’s Anti-Doping database has confirmed that McGregor completed a testing session in 2025, underscoring his renewed commitment to fulfilling regulatory obligations.

Amid the buzz of his return, ‘The Notorious’ has been flooding social media with footage of his training and sparring sessions in Italy, hinting at the seriousness of his preparations. In one earlier 10-second clip, McGregor was seen driving his sparring partner backward with thudding body shots, captioning it, “Make the punches whistle. Strong to the body, light to the head…” The Irishman has shown no signs of slowing down, continuing to punish sparring partners in the gym in Italy—most recently in a clip he uploaded to Instagram just hours ago.

Sharing a series of gym clips, the 37-year-old was seen sparring against a person who appeared to be much younger than him, possibly a teenager. The Irishman was seen relentlessly ripping vicious body and head shots that showcased both his power and precision without holding back much. “Charge this for free to the game, on the MACK!” he wrote in the caption of the post. “Cos I am FED UP PAYING for this bulls—t we keep seeing! @bareknucklefc is MORE EXCITING! If you’re not MURDERING PEOPLE WITH YOUR GROUND AND POUND! F–k off. I possess 100% G’n’P accuracy on my record! Out with your note pads, ‘professional’ peasants.”

Championship Rounds shared this clip on X. This caught former UFC fighter Ben Askren’s attention. Askren, who is recovering from a double lung transplant after a severe pneumonia caused by a staph infection, reacted to McGregor’s sparring by sharing his candid view on the matter. “What does beating up fighters who aren’t good prove or do to make you better? These videos are so dumb,” Askren stated on X. Interestingly, McGregor provided an NSFW response in a now-deleted tweet.

“I h—y for lonely,” McGregor wrote back. Regardless, McGregor hasn’t fought since UFC 264 in Las Vegas, where he suffered a brutal leg break in the opening rounds of the trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. He was scheduled to make his comeback at UFC 303 in June 2024 against Michael Chandler, but had to pull out of the fight due to a toe injury. In case he does fight on the UFC White House card, for which he has been training so hard, Chandler is a viable option, but nothing has been set in stone quite yet.

Nevertheless, McGregor’s training might not be for a UFC comeback, though, as a promoter reveals a twist in the story.

Conor McGregor may make his comeback in a new sport

Conor McGregor could be preparing for a dramatic return, not inside the UFC Octagon, but in the world of bare-knuckle fighting. According to a report from talkSport, McGregor is eyeing a return to fighting against the winner of Mike Perry vs. Jeremy Stephens at BKFC 82 on October 4. This comes from BKFC president and McGregor’s business partner, David Feldman. 

“We were supposed to have my partner, my friend Conor McGregor, here today, but he couldn’t make it last minute because he’s actually very, very focused. It’s the best Conor McGregor I’ve ever seen… He’s training hard,” Feldman said. Feldman added that McGregor told him, “One of you two guys is probably his next fight.”

However, should this fight happen, McGregor will need permission from the UFC, since he still has two fights left in his contract.

It appears Conor McGregor is preparing hard for his next fight, whether it’s in the UFC or BKFC, but the Irishman is not willing to take any criticism. However, only time will tell what the future holds for the former double champion. What did you think of McGregor’s training?