Conor McGregor has stated his desire to compete for the welterweight belt, but former title challenger Gilbert Burns is skeptical that the Irish would be successful in the new division. Burns, who is presently rated fifth in the welterweight class, feels McGregor can only enrich himself at 170 pounds.
Burns does, however, acknowledge McGregor as being a dangerous fighter when he is focused and devoted to training.
Conor McGregor’s Welterweight Comeback: Overhyped or Underdog Triumph? The Combat Sports World Weighs In
But when it comes to fighting the best guys in the welterweight division, Burns thinks McGregor is in over his head. “We’re all like 190, lean, mean, fighting the best guys in the world, and this guy thinks he’s going to jump out of the yacht and beat me, beat one of the top 5? Guaranteed, no way he’s doing that. He’s done.”
Burns isn’t the only one who oppugns McGregor’s welterweight chances. McGregor’s most recent fight happened in July 2021, when he broke his leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. McGregor has now guaranteed his return to the octagon to fight Michael Chandler in a welterweight matchup.
While Burns accepts Chandler has the strength and quickness to knock McGregor out in the first round, he also knows McGregor has a good chance of winning.
In the realm of combat sports, the comeback of Conor McGregor to the octagon is shrouded in uncertainty, and it stays an open question as to whether he can rise to prominence in the highly competitive welterweight division.
“The Crucible of the Octagon: Can McGregor Rise to the Challenge and Dominate the UFC’s Welterweight Division?”
While McGregor’s name carries weight in the sport, there is a prevailing sense of skepticism among leading fighters, such as Gilbert Burns, regarding his chances of achieving dominance in this weight class. Indeed, McGregor has the potential to be a deadly opponent if he devotes himself totally to his training program and refrains from the wild excesses of his personal life.
Yet, he may face a hard obstacle in the shape of stiff competition at 170 pounds. As a result, the issue of whether he can make a successful comeback in this division remains unanswered, with numerous unknowns surrounding his possibilities.
In the combat sports landscape, the UFC sits atop a lofty summit, with only the most daring and proficient warriors having a chance at carving out a legacy as genuine champions. Within this hyper-competitive domain, it is only through the crucible of the octagon that McGregor can truly prove his worth.
For there, he will find a formidable array of adversaries, each eager to assert their dominance and seize any chance to display their mastery of the art of fighting.
