Conor McGregor, the name once synonymous with the pinnacle of mixed martial arts, now sparks more questions than answers. It’s been over three years since ‘The Notorious’ last graced the Octagon. In the meantime, legal battles, delayed comebacks, and cryptic tweets have defined his story. The latest twist? A possible boxing match against Logan Paul in India has caused a frenzy in the combat sports world as it looks like the former ‘champ-champ’ is seemingly getting farther away from the cage as the days go by.

Even Joe Rogan questioned whether the Irishman would ever regain his place in the world of mixed martial arts. During the JRE (Joe Rogan Experience) episode no. 2239 with Derek from ‘More Plates, More Dates’, the host of the show confessed, “I don’t know if Conor’s ever gonna fight again… The reality is that guy’s partying and he’s partying real hard.”

For Rogan, the issue isn’t just about lifestyle choices—it’s also about the toll fighting takes on the mind and body. For McGregor, who began competing in amateur mixed martial arts back in 2007 when he was just 18 years old, the damage from fighting and sparring might also be a factor in his seemingly reckless lifestyle.

According to the UFC color commentator, “We’ve all seen Conor get beat up and knocked out. We’ve seen Conor’s sparring footage. He’s sparring pro boxers, he’s sparring elite fighters, you’re getting hit in the head a lot… you’re not supposed to get punched in the head a thousand times a year. It’s just not supposed to happen, and that’s the reality of consistent training.”

Fans, as always, had plenty to say. On social media, opinions ranged from frustration to resignation as we decipher what the netizens had to say about the possibility of Conor McGregor ever regaining the same spotlight in the MMA sphere.

Conor McGregor’s UFC return doesn’t seem likely for the fans as Joe Rogan’s remarks draw a flurry of reactions online

For some fans, the days of Conor McGregor ruling over the UFC seem to be a thing of the past already. With the news of his possible fight against Logan Paul dominating the headlines recently, is ‘celebrity boxing’ the path forward for the Irishman? According to his former rival, Eddie Alvarez, things aren’t that simple when it comes to dealing with the UFC. In a recent interview Alvarez confessed, “Realistically, I think he has two fights still left on his UFC contract and I just know how difficult that is [to get out of a signed contract] – especially when you are really that valuable to a company.”

“He is gonna be a celebrity boxer now if anything lol”

But what if he had someone like Apollo Creed in his corner? That’s what one fan proposed as a solution to McGregor’s woes. Rocky 3’s iconic exchange between Creed and Balboa might be the key as fans might remember the famous quote, “Now, when we fought, you had that eye of the tiger, man; the edge! And now you gotta get it back, and the way to get it back is to go back to the beginning.” Does McGregor need to rediscover his own hunger, his fire? What do you think?

“Conor needs someone to treat him the way Apollo creed treated Rocky in rocky III”

Others weren’t as forgiving as they lamented the fact that McGregor’s trajectory from being a ‘champ-champ’ to the biggest ‘what if’ in combat sports history is a testament to how the Irishman has spiraled ever since he rocketed to fame.

“Conor has to be one of the biggest let downs in combat sports history.”

Even his return to the UFC became a point of contention as the fans pointed out that unless handed a favorable match-up, he won’t be able to snap his current 2-fight losing streak.

“He will never fight in the UFC again and if he does he’ll lose unless they give him a layup”

The tone of disappointment was palpable as one fan pointed out that it’s time for the MMA world to “move on” from Conor McGregor. According to UFC veteran Matt Brown, speaking on a recent episode of ‘The Fighter vs The Writer’, “There’s so much money to be made doing a Logan Paul fight. Of course, he would do that. He doesn’t have to come back and fight a f**king Islam [Makhachev] or something or Dustin Poirier or [Nate] Diaz or anything. He just going and boxing a guy who is not a pro boxer.”

“Why do people still care about this guy? This has been obvious for a while now, he doesn’t care about this sport or the fans anymore, we all just need to accept that and move on”

To wrap things up, Joe Rogan’s remarks echo a sentiment many share—McGregor’s lifestyle and physical toll have created barriers that may be insurmountable. Fans, divided as ever, offer everything from nostalgia-driven hope to resigned disappointment. Whether he finds his ‘eye of the tiger’ again or remains a tale of what could have been, the question remains, can ‘The Notorious’ carve out a triumphant return, or has his prime been lost to time and temptation? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!