Fresh sparring footage of Conor McGregor goes viral, UFC fans are in shock

Fight fans have been left stunned over fresh footage of Conor McGregor sparring ahead of his highly-anticipated UFC return.

McGregor, who announced the birth of his fourth child this week, is closing in on his UFC return, having not competed inside the famed Octagon since July 2021.

He's on a two-fight losing skid following back-to-back defeats to Dustin Poirier.

But the 35-year-old appears on course to return to action next year, with a spot on the blockbuster UFC 300 mooted.

And fans are convinced the Irishman looks better than ever and can't believe he's now checking leg kicks.

He's uploaded a video of himself sparring Brendan Loughnane, with the former UFC double champion showing off his striking, impressing people online in the process. Check it out below:

One X user wrote: "Conor looking CLEAN."

A second tweeted: "Conor checking leg kicks??? What universe are we in???"

A third added: "Conor is gonna smoke Chandler. This man checking calf kicks and sh*t now."

A fourth said: "This man is complete when it comes to striking, ppl need to stop putting there own feelings about a fighter to try discredit what he’s done for the sport."

Another commented: "My man is looking as sharp as ever!!!"

Conor McGregor ringside for Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou. Image: Getty

While McGregor hasn't got a date for his UFC return, his opponent is set. He's in line to face Michael Chandler, who admits to being frustrated over the delay in announcing the bout.

"[Have I been] frustrated at times? Absolutely. Annoyed? Maybe a little bit here and there," he told Ariel Helwani.

"Because we get that rush, we love fighting, we love competing. I do train a lot so it is hard to train - even me, even being known as the guy who trains a lot and I live this life, it is hard to have your training but not have that carrot dangled in front of you and that light at the end of the tunnel of an actual date.

"But anybody who has seen all of my fights in the UFC thus far or even the fights before that, I’ve been extremely active over the last 15 years."