It has been over four years, and Conor McGregor still hasn’t made his way back to competing again. Regardless, the Irishman cannot stop teasing about a comeback now and then. Despite those hints, fans are increasingly sceptical about ever seeing one of the biggest combat-sports stars of the 21st century back inside the Octagon. However, MMA legend and flyweight GOAT Demetrious Johnson seems to believe that there are chances of a comeback, but it’s not what you think.

First of all, Demetrious Johnson seems to be very happy with Conor McGregor exploring and starting new ventures ever since he last fought in the UFC. McGregor and McGregor Sports & Entertainment became minority part‑owners of BKFC in April 2024, a move that has shifted much of his public energy toward promotion and investment. Not only has the Irishman expanded his business empire since then, but he’s also become a promoter in the fight after becoming a part-owner of the BKFC, or Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. Johnson has enjoyed the role McGregor has played in promoting the events with the help of his over-the-top persona.

“I think Conor is a great promoter. It’s good that they have bare-knuckle fighting because he does have that Midas touch, whether he’s promoting or whether he’s promoting him,” Demetrious Johnson stated on his YouTube show. Hoping to see him compete in his own promotion and in BKFC’s biggest star, Mike Perry‘s promotion, ‘Mighty Mouse’ added, “Who knows? Maybe we could see, down the line, Mike Perry fighting Conor McGregor inside of BKFC or DBX.” Johnson suggested that McGregor’s star power could translate into headline moments for other promotions and even teased the idea of high-profile crossovers.

Demetrious Johnson also had a co-host on his show, who claimed that the UFC, Dirty Boxing Championship, and BKFC could be out of consideration for Conor McGregor. ‘The Notorious’ has repeatedly mentioned wanting to fight bare-knuckle, but Johnson’s co-host believes that the fights need to offer a massive payout to the former UFC double champion. As such, he believes that the only fights that make sense for McGregor are either against Jake Paul or Manny Pacquiao, or even another blockbuster matchup against Floyd Mayweather in boxing.

“I don’t think Conor McGregor’s ever fighting again… I can see a Jake Paul [fight] on Netflix. I could see that, I could see a Floyd Mayweather rematch, I could see Manny Pacquiao. Those might be the only three where the money’s crazy enough,” Demetrious Johnson’s co-host stated.

Well, Jake Paul has proved himself to be able to generate a lot of interest with his boxing matches, as his fight against Mike Tyson broke Netflix servers due to a lot of traffic. On the other hand, Manny Pacquiao doesn’t need any introduction, given that he’s one of the biggest legends in the sport of boxing. Conor McGregor has traded verbal jibes with both boxers, so there’s hope that ends up butting heads against them inside the squared circle.

Meanwhile, another MMA legend shared his take on Conor McGregor’s comeback a few months ago. Although he believes that the chances are at an all-time low, he did share his pick for ‘The Notorious’s comeback opponent. Let’s take a look at that front.

Chael Sonnen claims Conor McGregor should finish his business with Michael Chandler

When Conor McGregor returned to the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter, the show received a new lease of life as viewers tuned into every episode week after week, hoping that the season would culminate with a fight between the Irishman and Michael Chandler. The former double champion excited the fans even more when, while discussing the potential weight class for the fight, he bluntly told ‘Iron’, “You’ll what you’re told.”

However, nothing came to fruition, and this has made Chael Sonnen a bit skeptical about Conor McGregor’s intentions of ever competing again. Even if he does decide to come back, he should be fighting Michael Chandler, according to ‘The American Gangster’, as McGregor himself claimed to have “unfinished business” with the former 3-time Bellator champion. In a video posted on social media, Sonnen said, “If Conor is going to come back to the UFC, can we agree, the appropriate opponent is Michael Chandler?”

High-revenue boxing events cut through the red tape of an MMA comeback — they’re brief, gentler on seasoned athletes, and the paychecks can overshadow typical UFC earnings. The showdown featuring Jake Paul and the Paul-Tyson Netflix event showcased the potential for big bucks: Networks and streaming services are eager to foot the bill for blockbuster events that capture worldwide interest.

Conor McGregor is not getting any younger, and as we all know, MMA fighters don’t really do well after long breaks and in their late 30s, unless your name is Jon Jones. So maybe boxing is the answer to all the questions. What do you think? Drop your comments below.