Al Iaquinta isn’t so sure about a Conor McGregor comeback fight.
UFC superstar McGregor has been teasing his return ever since he recovered from his broken leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021.
Four years later, Ireland’s McGregor has yet to fight since, withdrawing from a booking against Michael Chandler last summer due to an injury.
The former two-division champion recently submitted one test in the drug testing pool, which he needs to be eligible to fight again.
Still, some fear the worst for McGregor, wondering if he’ll ever fight again amid a potential political run in Ireland.
Bloody Elbow asked former top-five lightweight contender Al Iaquinta what are the chances of a McGregor return and his opinion of the new champion Ilia Topuria.
- READ MORE: ‘I keep getting calls’ … Al Iaquinta addresses reality of UFC return after retiring at 34
Al Iaquinta doubts Conor McGregor fights again
Iaquinta never got the chance to fight McGregor during his time in the Octagon. He did, however, fight Khabib Nurmagomedov in a lightweight title bout on a day’s notice at UFC 223 in 2018, going one more round than McGregor did, having gone the distance with Nurmagomedov in a decision defeat.
McGregor had Iaquinta in his sights as a potential opponent at one point, after Iaquinta had criticized McGregor for his performance against Nurmagomedov, which saw him submitted in the fourth round.
The retired UFC star commented on the chances of a McGregor return at 37.
“If I had to say, no, I would think that he doesn’t,” Iaquinta told Bloody Elbow.
“I think he’s done a great job of keeping himself in the headlines, but I don’t know. It’s a lot. I think he’s 36, 37, right? Is he 37? 38 years old?
“He’s living a good life, and the longer you go without fighting, the harder it is to come back. So you almost hope that he doesn’t,” Iaquinta said.
“I don’t know. It seems like he’s a little out of his mind still, so we’ll see,” the former top contender said of a potential McGregor return.
Al Iaquinta says ‘Conor 2.0’ Ilia Topuria is ‘next evolution’
Iaquinta likes what he sees from lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.
Topuria improved to 17-0 with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, becoming the 10th fighter in UFC history to win belts in two divisions.
From his 7-0 featherweight title run to his tattoos, there are a few similarities between Topuria and McGregor—some of which ‘El Matador’ has been criticized for.
From what he’s seen, Iaquinta respectfully says Topuria has taken McGregor’s blueprint ‘up a notch’, doing things in his own way.
“He’s great. He’s the total package, right?” Iaquinta said of the 28-year-old Topuria.
“I think he speaks well. He’s an inspiration to the younger generation. He’s a positive role model. I think he’s kind of got his head straight to where he’s like a family guy.
“I see him having a long reign, a positive reign. I think he’s the next evolution. I think he’s like Conor 2.0. He took Conor’s blueprint and then just, like, leveled it up a notch…
“Conor was one of a kind, but he definitely is, he’s doing it in his own way,” Iaquinta said of Topuria.
Iaquinta continued.
“He’s doing it his own way, but he’s taking a lot from the Conor book. It’s cool to see.
“I’m interested in seeing what happens next…”
Iaquinta said he wants to see Topuria fight former lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, adding it’s the ‘modern day Tony Ferguson vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov’.