Joe Rogan thinks Conor McGregor can rebound, make UFC comeback

At one time, Conor McGregor was the best fighter in the UFC. He was winning fights left and right, earning big paychecks, and dominating the headlines. But over the last few years, he’s struggled to win fights, headlines are focused on his downfall and he’s spent considerable time outside of the Octagon. 

But even with the cards (and a nasty injury) stacked against him ever regaining that status again, there’s one man on McGregor’s side, rooting for him from the sidelines. 

And that’s UFC commentator Joe Rogan. 

“If it wasn’t for his leg snap, he’s still in the prime of his career. But that leg snap is a real problem,” Rogan said on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience. “I mean, if he does, he’ll be the first. And if anybody does, maybe he can do it. If anybody can do it, maybe it’s him because he snapped his leg in the prime of his career. Anderson was a little older. I believe he was 36 or 37 when he snapped his leg. Chris Weidman was a little older.”

He does have the odds against him. Chris Weidman lost his first fight back since his leg break and Anderson Silva went 1-5-1 after his. 

“It’s a hard one to come back from. Nobody really comes back from that one. You have to have plates, and also, you’ve got to think the differences – you’re kicking, you’re taking kicks. Guys are going to kick you in that shin for sure. They’re going to kick you in your calf. (You’ll have) nerve damage – all the above. I don’t know the extent of how much damage was done, but it’s been two years.”

McGregor was supposed to fight this year, after filming The Ultimate Fighter with Michael Chandler, but that fight never came to fruition. 

“I just think that if anybody can do it, it’s going to be Conor,” Rogan said. “If anyone is going to come back from that and fight again, it’s going to be Conor. But it’s that famous Marvin Hagler quote: ‘It’s hard to get out of bed and run in the cold when you’re sleeping in silk sheets.’ When you’re the champ and you’re rich as f*ck like he is, he doesn’t have to do nothing forever. He’s got generational wealth, but he’s still in the prime of his athletic career.”

McGregor is expected to fight in 2024 but no exact return date has been set.