Fans spot Conor McGregor return 'clue' during UFC 299 interview

Fans are convinced Conor McGregor will return to action soon following the interview he gave ahead of UFC 299.

UFC 299 saw Sean O'Malley put on a masterclass against Marlon Vera to defend his UFC bantamweight title.

And Dustin Poirier scored a monstrous knockout win over Benoit Saint-Denis in the co-main event.

McGregor shared his thoughts on UFC 299 before the Miami show last weekend.

And, in doing so, fans spotted how noticeably slimmer the 35-year-old looked ahead of his return.

The former UFC double champion is targeting a June date and judging by his face, he appears to be in preparation for his anticipated comeback.

His interview sent social media wild as UFC fans speculated about his return.

One X user wrote: "Why does he look so skinny," to which someone replied: "News soon imo."

A second tweeted: "Face is noticeably slimmer."

A third added: "They making a 165 pound decision and him vs Oliveira for the belt."

McGregor hasn't fought since his crushing defeat to Poirier back in July 2021.

He broke his ankle as he suffered a TKO (doctor stoppage) defeat at UFC 264.

But the Irishman has recovered and is nearing his UFC return, eyeing a fight at International Fight Week.

"I'm hoping to get it," he said when asked about a June return.

"You can tell Hunter [Campbell], your man, that you know to start to get the ball rolling.

"I've got this workload here, a lot of press, a lot of partying at St Patrick's [Day].

"And after that, I'm in fight camp. I've got my team here, we're ready to go.

"So hopefully June 29, please."

McGregor is hellbent on returning to action, having been out of action for almost three years.

But he could end his UFC hiatus on June 29, with a fight against Chandler mooted.