Former UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz believes Conor McGregor has both the resources and motivation necessary to make another return to the Octagon following the serious injury he suffered at UFC 329.
McGregor sustained the injury in last week's main event, casting doubt over his immediate fighting future and prompting renewed questions about whether the former two-division champion will compete again.
Cruz, who repeatedly battled back from major injuries throughout his own career, offered his perspective during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show on Monday. Having endured multiple career-threatening setbacks himself, Cruz said McGregor is in a strong position to recover physically.
“He has the physical therapy at the performance institute, he has all the best doctors and money in the world now,” Cruz said. “I think he's going to stay in the testing pool this time. I don't know, last time he didn't. I had to stay, I chose to stay in, we'll see what he does with that.
“But with all the access to the things he has, he absolutely can come back.”
Beyond the physical aspects of recovery, Cruz suggested that McGregor's desire to compete again stems from the same deep-rooted obsession that drives many elite fighters.
“It took so much for me to not have martial arts (in my life), that's why I think he came back,” Cruz said. “He's got everything in the world, everybody keeps saying, right? So why do you go back in the octagon? There's only one logical reason to go in there and do that when you have everything he has. And it's because he needs it.
“I needed it. Why wouldn't he? Why would he be different? It takes a certain obsession to be good at this.”
Cruz also reflected on how difficult life away from competition can be for fighters who have dedicated themselves to the sport for so long.
“And my obsession was taken away from me,” Cruz said. “And his obsession, I think, was taken away. And then he was just let out to go be free, and man, we saw where that went for him. Apparently for him, it wasn't working. So he wanted to get back to what did work for him. I can totally resonate with that.”
Despite the setback at UFC 329 and the criticism surrounding McGregor in recent years, Cruz remains convinced that the Irish superstar will fight again.
“And I think that he definitely will be back. I really do because of the injury and because everybody got that taste and that feeling of showing up, and everybody doubts him right now, and everybody's kind of upset,” Cruz said. “A lot of people are upset.
“Everybody wants a comeback story so no matter what anybody says they're going to watch because everybody loves a comeback story and he's entertaining so the build-up to that will be great.”
Cruz believes the emotions McGregor experienced on fight night will ultimately help fuel his rehabilitation process.
“But I think he'll definitely do it,” Cruz said. “I think that feeling he had that night (at UFC 329) will resonate with him, he's going to hold on to it tight and get through and use it to get through this rehab. He has all the access he needs.”
