Daniel Cormier believes that Conor McGregor’s targeted comeback is different than it has been in the past.
‘The Notorious’ hasn’t stepped foot inside the Octagon since UFC 264 in July of 2021.
While he has regularly teased making a return since then, Dana White has made it clear that McGregor is very serious about fighting at the White House in 2026.
McGregor has already shared his prediction for how his first fight back would play out following regular videos of him being back in training.
A fellow former UFC champ-champ believes that there is a factor which makes this potential comeback a lot more serious than his previous teases.
Daniel Cormier believes that Conor McGregor has realized that he’s losing his shine by not fighting
On a recent episode of ESPN MMA’s Good Guy / Bad Guy, Daniel Cormier shared his thoughts on Conor McGregor’s return seemingly becoming more serious.
An insider recently stated that McGregor is putting in the work to back up the comments that he has made about coming back.
One factor in this finally being the moment where ‘The Mac’ comes back is the event itself, which Cormier recognized when addressing the returns that didn’t happen.
“He’s told us time and time again that he’ll be there and he hasn’t shown up. I believe that this time, there’s a stronger possibility because of all the time that’s passed and I believe the White House is going be that big of a deal to him.”
However, Cormier believes there is a bigger reason why this is the time that the Irishman is truly serious about dusting off the gloves.
“But, I think the biggest factor in why Conor McGregor may fight is because no one believes him anymore and some of that shine is starting to wear off. It doesn’t matter how much money you’ve got Chael, when you’re a guy that develops the level of stardom that he reached, when you’re a guy that loves the attention and the adulation and it starts to fade, then you come back and you do what you did before.
“I think he’s coming back, but it’s not because he wants to compete,” Cormier said. “I think he understands now that people just aren’t in on the Conor McGregor business anymore.”
Daniel Cormier doesn’t believe that the opponent is an important factor for Conor McGregor
Another element that Daniel Cormier spoke about when sharing his thoughts on Conor McGregor’s motivation for a return was the opponent that he will face.
McGregor already named Michael Chandler as the man who will be standing across the cage from him at the White House in 2026.
While this looks to be the direction, Cormier believes that to McGregor, it doesn’t matter who his dance partner is.
‘DC’ thinks that ‘The Mac’ only needs to fight again to regain some of his shine, regardless of whether it’s a significant win or dream matchup.