Conor McGregor given huge ‘psychological warning’ ahead of UFC return against Michael Chandler
CONOR MCGREGOR has been warned he faces just as big a “psychological” battle in his octagon return as a physical one.
The former two-weight world champion is on course to make his long-awaited return to the cage on June 29 in the main event of UFC 303 in Las Vegas.
McGregor’s comeback clash against Michael Chandler will be his first since shattering his left leg in his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021.
And former middleweight champion Chris Weidman – who broke his right leg two months before The Notorious – has warned him he faces a mental battle to trust using the limb again fully.
During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Weidman said: “I know he watched my fight.
“I think he probably learned a lot watching my fight.
“Some of the red flags of what to be prepared for, for whoever he fights, and also maybe you’re not going to be able to throw [the kicks] back as much as you want.
“Or now, be prepared that could be something you have to deal with, so really train on kicking back.
“Because you want that to be second nature when you’re in there. For me, I thought I was good with that, but I wasn’t.
“I would have really worked at it more and realize there is a psychological effect when you break your leg in half like that.
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“So you need to really get that habit back strong and focus on that.
“I don’t really think I need to say much. He should just watch my last fight and learn from that.”
Recent training footage of McGregor suggests he’s confident using his steel-enforced limb, which he plans to knock Chandler out cold with.
He said: “I’m going to kick this guy in the head. He’s just tailor-made for being kicked all over the place.
“And that’s what I’m aiming for, I’m aiming to wrap this steel bar around the opponent.
“And you’’ll see a visual of the leg hanging off, and then you’re going to see a visual of a head hanging off.”