© Image by Valentin Tikhonov from Pixabay
In spite of popular demand, Conor McGregor did not make a highly-anticipated comeback to UFC in 2022. While this may be somewhat disappointing, it may actually be a good thing that Conor's return has been delayed, and this is something we are going to take a look at further on in this article.
Injuries Happen To Everyone
It is common knowledge now that Conor McGregor has been trying to recover from a particularly nasty leg injury that he happened to receive in the opening months of 2022. Well, McGregor's leg was still healing in August and still isn't right in spite of the fact that we are coming to the end of the year, and while this may sound like an excuse to some, the athletes among you are going to know just how devastating a seemingly minor injury can be.It can quite literally take years for certain injuries to fully recover, and from what all the reports are telling us, Conor McGregor was obviously not quite confident that his leg washealed enough for him to take to the octagon once again. Of course, this is going to be perceived extremely negatively by some.
Not every single fan is going to understand just how much of an impact an injury can have on performance, and some may even be somewhat put-off Conor McGregor as a direct result of this.
However, it would be much better to see a fully capable Conor return to the UFC rather than a Conor with a fraction of his real abilities, and this is precisely why Conor is willing to take as long as he needs to recover.
It is not uncommon to see boxers take weeks, months, or even years out of the sport due to a seemingly minor injury, and even though this practice isn't commonplace in the UFC. For instance, Artur Szpilka – a name people who visit bookmaker online in Poland will be familiar with – was knocked out by Deontay Wilder in the ninth round of their bout in January of 2016, needing a stretcher after spending minutes on the mat. Szpilka didn't return to the ring until July 2017. Conor knows that his health is more important than the roars of the masses.
Focusing On Other Pursuits
Another thing that has undoubtedly played a role in delaying Conor's UFC comeback is his career in acting. Conor has focused on other pursuits throughout 2022, and as things look now, there are no signs that this is changing.Apart from starring in a future big-budget Hollywood movie, Conor is attempting to kickstart his acting career to move himself into the realm of other athlete-actors such as Dwayne Johnson or Arnold Schwarzenegger, and as you would expect, this leaves him very little time to focus on his training.
We hope we have been able to give you a better insight into the various reasons why Conor McGregor didn't make his UFC comeback in 2022. While there is no doubt that the news was incredibly disappointing to the fans, Conor just has to look after himself first, and it goes without saying that his comeback would be rather lacklustre if he was not able to come back with the best of his abilities. While UFC is where many of his fans want to see him, it could be that the Jake-Paul-led boxing revolution is appealing for McGregor or, indeed, the WWE, where his superstar presence and persona can be harnessed into a character for his adoring fans.
Here's hoping that 2023 will be the year of McGregor. Catch you in the next one.
