UFC: Is Conor McGregor In Shape To Fight In January? His Coach Opens Up About It

Conor McGregor's coach Owen Roddy has revealed that his fighter is in "phenomenal shape" ahead of his return to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).

Although a confirmed opponent and date have not been released yet by the UFC, Roddy is confident that the Irishman will make a comeback as good as ever. The former UFC champion has not competed at the UFC since his loss in the UFC 229 PPV in October to Khabib Nurmagomedov and that resulted in an all-out brawl.

Speaking about McGregor's current training, Roddy said, "I know he’s working very hard. There’s no official date set yet, but Conor’s been training very hard, as you can see - he’s in good nick. If you're looking at any of the pictures, he's in phenomenal shape, he’s ready to go. I’m sure everybody’s excited to see him back."

There have been rumors that McGregor will make his comeback on Jan. 18 against Donald Cerrone at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

"If it is 'Cowboy', it would be an exciting fight. I said this a couple of months ago: 'Cowboy' and Conor is a great fight for the fans. Two guys that are exciting strikers – although ‘Cowboy’ is phenomenal on the ground, as well, but I think if it was a fight between them, it would be a striking battle, and I think it would be one for the fans, so if it is that, it’ll be an exciting one," Roddy added during an interview with MMA Junkie.

McGregor apparently wants to fight three times next year - against Cerrone, Jorge Masvidal and finally Nurmagomedov for a second time. However, it won't be easy for McGregor to earn a rematch as Nurmagomedev has asked the Irishman to win 10 straight fights in a row in order to get another shot at the UFC lightweight championship.

While McGregor's coach has admitted that he just wants to watch the former return to the ring, he has also claimed that McGregor would perform better if given a rematch against Nurmagomedev.

"It was a tricky fight, and take nothing away from Khabib, he came in with a great gameplan. He got off, and he executed. but I just don’t think Conor was anywhere near the best of his ability. He wasn’t as good as he can be, and Conor on a night, at 100 per cent, can beat anybody in the world," he added.