Conor McGregor opens up about future in fighting: ‘There is still a lot left in me’

If you were one of many who thought UFC superstar Conor McGregor would leave the fight game behind after scoring a $100 million payday in a loss to boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. this past August, it looks like you were wrong.

While McGregor’s next move in combat sports is uncertain at this time, the 29-year-old Irishman is adamant that a move is indeed coming. According to “Notorious,” the only thing that would derail his fighting career would be accruing too much physical damage.

“I always look at the end from a damage-taken standpoint,” McGregor said during a recent interview with Sky Sports. “How much damage have I taken? How is my brain? How is my mental health? How is my physical body? How is my training? How is my preparation? How is my hunger for it?

“That is where I gauge how long I will do it and there is still a lot left in me.”

Considering McGregor has a lot left in the tank, it’s safe to say we will see the UFC lightweight champion back in action in 2018. And even if he doesn’t score the same lucrative paycheck that he did for his superfight with “Money,” McGregor’s passion to compete will be enough to bring him back to the fight game.

“It is not necessarily a money thing for me,” McGregor said. “I am passionate about fighting. Fighting is what I love to do. I will continue to do it as long as I am healthy and willing to put in the work that it takes to do.

“I will not be stupid, though. I will not notice things about myself and then continue to do it like many others before me.”

With a plethora of options on the table for his return, including a title unification bout with interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson, a trilogy fight with nemesis Nate Diaz, and a potential return to boxing, McGregor will have some serious choices to make in the new year. But whichever route “Notorious” takes, he’s convinced that it will be for the right reasons.

“It is a dangerous, ruthless business and I am aware of that,” McGregor said. “Thankfully I am in a position of great wealth. I do not need to do it. I am doing it for the love of it.

“I will make my decision when the time comes.”

Stick with Mania for more news on McGregor’s next move.