Conor McGregor's Coach Drops Major UFC Return Update after 'Spiritual Awakening'
Conor McGregor's coach has revealed that the Irishman is set to make a return to the UFC following a 'spiritual awakening.'
McGregor has now not fought in over four years, after he suffered a broken leg in his defeat to Dustin Poirier in June 2021.
The Irishman was set to return to the octagon in June 2024 to face Michael Chandler, but the fight was cancelled after he sustained an injury during a training camp.
However, McGregor is determined to make a comeback in 2026, and he has made it clear he wants to appear on the card for UFC White House on June 14.
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His coach John Kavanagh has also now confirmed that they are fully committed to preparing him for a return in 2026.
Speaking to Ariel Helwani, he said: "On our end, we're 100% in. He's asked me to basically lay out a program between now and June of how we'll ramp up our training.
"He's back in the gym most mornings early and he's having fun with it...
"He's already tasked me with putting together a team of suitable training partners.
"Like I said, if it's Conor's choice, he's in. I don't know how it will work with the UFC."
Away from the octagon, McGregor has been involved in a civil sexual assault case.
In November 2024, he was ordered to pay €206,000 in damages and costs to Nikita Hand, who accused him of rape in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
McGregor appealed, arguing that his answers to police interviews should not have been presented to the jury.
In July 2025, all three senior judges at the Court of Appeal in Dublin rejected the appeal on all grounds.
Since then, McGregor has spoken publicly about his renewed faith and about how he has found God.
Ahead of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) in October, he said: “I am not here just by chance. There is a higher power, God, that dictates my journey.
“I live my life by God’s word, and since the last event, I have engaged in a spiritual journey.
"I’m saved. I’m healed."
McGregor's 'spiritual journey' was another topic that Kavanagh discussed with Helwani.
"I'm not saying anything that he hasn't already said himself, but he had a bit of a spiritual awakening, a bit of a journey," Kavanagh continued.
"And there's a bit of a different vibe with him at this stage.
"Like a lot of the time he comes to the gym, the family are coming down, it's a family day out, but it'll be interesting to see how it goes."
Topics: Conor McGregor, UFC, MMA, John Kavanagh
James Taylor