Conor McGregor told he should never be allowed to fight again

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has insisted former dual-weight world champion Conor McGregor will never fight again. 'The Notorious' has not fought since suffering a broken leg during his trilogy showdown with Dustin Poirier back in 2021. Following the first round defeat, the Irishman hasn't stepped foot inside the cage again. He was due to take on former Bellator lightweight world champion Michael Chandler last year, but was forced to pull out of the contest after picking up an injury in training.

Last month, he let slip the date for his UFC comeback to WWE star Logan Paul. During a heated exchange, 'The Maverick' took a swipe at McGregor's lack of fights under the UFC banner recently, saying: “You can’t even do your main job. How are you going to do a side job?” After the American's brutal dig, McGregor then informed the social media sensation to keep an eye out for a November date, saying: “That’s a good one,” he said before telling the 29-year-old: “November, stay tuned”.

Despite his plans to return to the cage, Sonnen has his doubts. He told Ariel Helwani: "He pulled out of his last fight which was a record gate. He beat all of his own gate records. They had $25million (£20m) waiting for them for the live gate and still had $2million (£1.6m) worth of tickets to sell. "He pulled out of a press conference where they took an American company to Ireland, played the video game like everybody had set up shop. I mean, it's a big deal to leave them hanging right there. The official reason he did that was for a discoloured pinky toe which may or may not be broken and may or may not be his.

"He didn't take a picture of himself with the toe. He took a picture of a toe and posted it online. It was discoloured red and purple and I'm sure it was very sore. But with no evidence that it was broken, or even any evidence that it was even his. If you pull out of a fight because of a discoloured pinky toe that may or may not be yours, that may or may not be broken, you're not fighting again. It's just the truth.".

Earlier this week, 'The Notorious' was filmed spitting in a man's face. He shockingly reacted to a fan's comment, supporting long-time rival Khabib Nurmagomedov. In the clip, McGregor was seen walking through a shopping centre when a fan was heard yelling "Let's go Khabib!" After hearing the man's comment, the 36-year-old couldn't back down and just had to react. The Irishman then turned around and had an angry confrontation with the individual. An apparent spitting sound was then heard before McGregor walked away. He was then heard saying: "I spit in your face, what do you do? Nothing." It remains unknown as to the location and the date of the video.

Sonnen went on to add that he believe the MMA icon isn't fit to compete inside the Octagon. "Whatever adult allows Conor McGregor to return with the same exact injury that Chris Weidman had," he continued. "Chris Weidman being possibly the most disciplined guy in the sport, Conor being the most undisciplined guy in the sport. "Chris Weidman doing everything right, from rehab to taking his time to focusing to being at home at night and going to bed and getting rest on his leg. He did everything right, and did not return as somebody that could follow the basic rule, which was to protect himself at all times. Right?.

"That hindered, repaired leg was that big of an obstacle. But we're supposed to believe that Conor not only can return from the same thing, he can return better? And we know we think he's going to be better, because we're not booking him in three-round fights. We're booking him exclusively in five-round main events, so he is going to have to perform at a much higher level than 'The All-American.'. "The laws of logic disqualify that. The basic rule is protect yourself at all times. Conor McGregor is not in a position with anybody under contract at the UFC to protect himself at all times. It's a silly proposition, and that is just the truth. That is just the truth. There's not another way to say it. I also want in on the Conor business. I also want to cover him and have him back, and it's different when he's there. I acknowledge the fun. But if you're talking about any level of responsibility, you can't book him — and you definitely can't book him in a five-round fight. That's insane.".