On segment #166 of the JRE MMA Show, Joe Rogan sat down with former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria for an episode that shattered records, becoming the most-watched JRE podcast in a day featuring a fighter. Garnering over 2.6 million views within just three days, one watch explains why — in a conversation lasting over two hours, Rogan and Topuria dove deep into topics surrounding his career and the state of the UFC. And one of the fighters they touched upon was Conor McGregor. Possibly the only fighter ever to make himself bigger than the organization, McGregor’s rise began with his iconic “Dana! 50G’s baby!” moment. However, after nearly 12 years, the Irishman’s future looks grim!

At this point, most of the MMA community has lost interest in speculating about a McGregor return — and honestly, who can blame them? You can spend five minutes discussing a potential fight, but the next half hour is spent wondering if he’ll ever actually return. One of the closest witnesses to McGregor’s meteoric rise and dramatic fall, Rogan, recently shared that he doesn’t believe we’ll see McGregor compete again. In Rogan’s eyes, McGregor has moved on from the Octagon after pulling out from his UFC 303 bout with Michael Chandler, leaving behind a legacy that now feels more like a memory than an active force in the sport.

Rogan, while sympathetic to the injury itself, voiced his frustration: “Okay, why should you fight in a broken toe? Especially a guy who moves a lot like Conor. He relies on movement so much. Yeah, I get it. So heal that toe up. What’s that? That’s two months. Broken toes is two months. And so then you’re back in camp, and then you reschedule a fight, and then you fight again. But he didn’t.”

He added, “Um, and also partying, constant partying, all these legal problems that he has, you know, scooting around on yachts and, you know, driving around a Lamborghini. He’s he’s wealthy. Maybe I mean the what’s really sad is if he comes back when he’s like 39 or 40 and his body just doesn’t have it anymore, you know.”

This is when ‘La Leyenda’ chipped in and delivered some ominous news for the Irishman. While discussing a possible clash between Paddy Pimblett and McGregor, Topuria didn’t hesitate, saying: “So right now he actually has a great opponent, Mike Chandler. He could fight, right? Yeah, they could fight because if they put him against Paddy. I think Paddy beats him easy now. I know that he can knock out like everyone.” However, Rogan pointed out that McGregor is now 36 and no longer in his athletic prime, and so the prospect of him beating the young blood of 2025 is nearly impossible.

Ever since his victory at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett has taken over every veteran and enthusiast’s mind who saw him beat Michael Chandler. Even ‘The Notorious’, who bet half a million dollars on ‘Iron’ Mike to finish the Scouser, had to eat his words and deal with a huge loss. Surely the British lightweight prospect has caught the Irishman’s eye!

Paddy Pimblett targets Conor McGregor over breaking the Irish-Scouser connection

When Paddy Pimblett stopped Chandler by a TKO in Round 3, he had the whole world shook. After being counted out by a majority of the MMA community, the Englishman made sure to let the world know where his focus is. After calling out every top prospect like Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, and Arman Tsarukyan for a possible title eliminator, the Scouser reserved a rather big seat for himself in the list of fighters who have called out McGregor. But Paddy left a significant mark on McGregor’s wallet, a great way to catch his attention.

The Irishman said after UFC 314, “My history with Mike and the odds on him by KO swayed me to take the risk. My head did say Paddy. He’s improving, but with a way to go yet. Although the division is woeful, it is equal, and equal brings good fights. So happy days, ya’s’r welcome.” Imagine brutally beating someone on whom a famous fighter had put a bet and then calling them out, making them lose half a million dollars, and even earning a compliment from him. This is what Paddy was able to execute with just one victory!

Pimblett, for his part, has his beef with ‘The Notorious.’ After McGregor bet against him and chose Chandler to win at UFC 314, Pimblett didn’t hold back: “Putting money on Chandler to win, lad. The Irish-Scouse connection. He’s meant to back me, and he never does. So if he wants it, he’ll get ‘muftied’ as well.”

So does Paddy Pimblett, carrying the huge Liverpudlian crowd on his back, have the ability to bring Conor McGregor out of his controversies and legal issues, and back into the Octagon? What do you think? Let us know in the comments.