LOS ANGELES — Conor McGregor's long-awaited comeback was spoiled by a devastating knee injury just seconds into his fight with Max Holloway at UFC 329, but close friend and training partner Dillon Danis says the former two-division UFC champion is more determined than ever to return after undergoing ACL reconstruction surgery.
Danis, who has counted McGregor as a friend and training partner for several years, told MMA Fighting's Mike Heck that the Irish superstar was initially in a dark place after the abrupt ending to his return after five years away. "Obviously after the fight you could only imagine how someone could feel coming [back] after five years and that happening that fast," Danis said. "He was in a dark place. Any human being will. I'm not going into details what we talked about because that's obviously personal but as a human, how would you feel? The biggest comeback and that happens."
"Now his head's a lot better. He has a 24/7 nurse with him. He's doing all the exercises. He's isolated himself in L.A. doing all the right things for his knee and he's focused on coming back," Danis said. "There's something about Conor that [when] he puts his mind towards something, he gets it done. There's no one that will tell him he's not fighting again, you're never going to be the same, all the bullshit that everybody says, when that guy has his head on something it's blinders."
With one fight remaining on his current UFC contract, McGregor has stated several times that he is plotting a comeback as soon as International Fight Week in 2027, typically held in July, though nothing has been offered or booked. "He is focused right now," Danis said. "I talk to him almost everyday and he's in a good spot right now and I'm happy to see it."