Daniel Cormier said it might be time to let go of Conor McGregor should the UFC superstar not return for his potential next fight.
McGregor is scheduled to fight lightweight title contender Michael Chandler after the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter. The reality show pits McGregor against Chandler as coaches.
Despite McGregor’s unknown status, Cormier said it wouldn’t affect the Irishman’s history. Chandler previously said it’d be a stain on McGregor’s legacy.
“I gotta be honest with you man, I’m not one of those guys that’s like what have you done for me lately,” Cormier said of McGregor on DC & RC. “I don’t think a legacy should be tarnished due to something you did not do. That could only add to it right? Legacy is already done. Ryan, you won a Super Bowl, doesn’t matter if you’ve ever won another Super Bowl.
“Yeah, Conor McGregor was the UFC champion. Conor McGregor was the UFC double champion and Conor McGregor is the most popular fighter the UFC has ever seen. None of that will ever change.”
Daniel Cormier discusses Conor McGregor, potential fight with Michael Chandler
With no fight against Chandler booked yet, fans might be restless. But either way, Cormier doesn’t see a tarnished legacy with McGregor.
“I don’t agree in that sense that it hurts his legacy because coming back and fighting Michael Chandler can only add to it,” Cormier said. “It only adds to a legacy that is already cemented.”
However, Cormier dropped a bomb about McGregor and his fans.
“What I do believe though, is that if he doesn’t come back after doing The Ultimate Fighter, after always being around the fights, it will just seem like he just doesn’t want to do it anymore,” Cormier said. “And I would suggest that we kind of let him go. That’s where I would feel we would go as fans and people that cover Conor McGregor because then if he doesn’t want to fight, then he doesn’t want to fight. We can’t force him into doing this thing anymore. But I don’t think that legacy ever changes once you’ve accomplished what you accomplished.”
McGregor has not fought in the UFC since July 2021, his third fight with Dustin Poirier. The fight ended prematurely due to McGregor breaking his leg in the first round. It was his second straight defeat at the hands of Poirier.
McGregor is 22-6 in his MMA career but lost three of his last four fights. Two were to Poirier and one was to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC Lightweight Championship.
McGregor is a former two-weight champion in the promotion but only fought four times since November 12, 2016. He won his second belt over Eddie Alvarez and became the first to hold two belts at once.
