UFC's Conor McGregor Returns To Boxing Ring In Ireland

Conor McGregor returned to the boxing ring for an exhibition in Ireland as he prepares for a return to UFC. 

McGregor has not fought in UFC since 2021, losing back-to-back fights to Dustin Poirier and sustaining a broken ankle during the second of those fights. But he has been teasing a return to the Octagon sometime over the summer and the belief is he is being eyed for UFC 329 on July 11, during International Fight Week. 

In the meantime, McGregor put back on the boxing gloves for the first time since 2019 for an exhibition bout at Crumlin Boxing Club in Dublin, Ireland, for its Good Friday show last week, scoring a pair of standing eight counts in the round that has since been circulated on social media. 

McGregor fought an exhibition at Crumlin in April 2019 over the course of four rounds, and fought his one and only professional boxing bout in August 2017 against Floyd Mayweather Jr.. Mayweather picked up the win via TKO in round 10 of 12 that night, extending his unblemished record to 50-0. And he has since retired from professional fighting to pursue an exhibition career as well. 

McGregor's boxing bout could be seen as a tune-up for his return to UFC, considering he is the most tested UFC fighter with UFC Anti-Doping thus far this year. He was suspended from MMA competition after failing to report his whereabouts for testing in 2024, ruled out for 18 months retroactive to the point of failure; that suspension lifted as of March this year.