Ilia Topuria believes Conor McGregor appears fully focused ahead of his long-awaited return to the Octagon this summer.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) is scheduled to face Max Holloway (27-9 MMA, 23-9 UFC) in the main event of UFC 329 on June 11. The bout will mark McGregor’s first fight in more than five years and his first appearance since suffering a devastating leg injury during his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier in 2021.
During his extended absence from competition, McGregor’s future in the sport was frequently questioned amid a series of controversies outside the cage. At various points throughout the hiatus, speculation grew that the former two-division UFC champion might never compete again.
Speaking in an interview with Vic Blends this week, Topuria (15-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) shared his assessment of McGregor’s current mindset and preparation.
“I think he's taking (it) seriously now, like his training sessions,” Topuria said. “It looks like (he’s locked in).”
The undefeated lightweight champion also cautioned against reading too much into social media appearances while acknowledging that McGregor seems more committed than in recent years.
“Like, you never know…when we see things on social media, we never know the truth behind that,” Topuria added. “Because he could be training in the morning and partying at night. But he seems to be locked in.”
McGregor’s return is expected to be one of the biggest events on the UFC calendar, with fans eager to see how the former champion performs after such a lengthy layoff and a career-threatening injury.
