Jon Anik still hopeful for Conor McGregor UFC return but 'exhausted' over inactivity

A couple weeks ago at the UFC Hall of Fame red carpet, lead play-by-play voice Jon Anik said he was “hopeful” for a Conor McGregor return in 2024.

Not only that, but Anik said he expected McGregor to fight a couple times in about eight months once he finally does return. But until then, as long as McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) continues to say on the sidelines in a layoff that now has reached three years, Anik said he’s growing tired of waiting and wondering.

“I’m just exhausted,” Anik told MMA Junkie Radio. “It doesn’t mean I dislike him or I’m hating on him. I’m just exhausted. I guess I’m frustrated – that’s probably the right verb when it comes to some of Conor McGregor’s inactivity. But largely, I think a lot of this has been out of his control. It’s not always easy being the biggest superstar in mixed martial arts. It certainly isn’t easy when you snap your leg in half, and then obviously he had a setback in this most recent training camp.”

McGregor was training for the UFC 303 main event vs. Michael Chandler, a long-discussed fight that finally came to fruition about 18 months after it first was known.

Anik thinks once McGregor, 35, has his next fight scheduled, he’ll suddenly become a more frequent fighter. It might seem unrealistic, but Anik maintains a high degree of hope about what’s on the horizon for the brash Irishman.

“I’ve got to stay consistent in terms of my thesis statement on Conor: Tt’s that he’s going to enjoy the yacht life a whole lot more with a couple more MMA (wins), or at the very least fights – high-profile fights and the mixed martial artists in there.

“The professional athlete in there, the competitor in there, is such that I expect him to try to come back and fight a couple of times here in short order. I’ve been very wrong before. … There’s no recreational activity or boxing ring that is going to do for him, what a win over Michael Chandler and some of these other guys can do.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.