Conor McGregor 's manager has confirmed the UFC star will not fight again this year as he gears up for his Hollywood debut.
McGregor, 34, will feature alongside popular actor Jake Gyllenhall in a remake of the classic movie Road House, with filming set to start in a few weeks in the Dominican Republic. Many fans feared the venture would compromise McGregor's timeline for his UFC return, but his manager Tim Simpson insists he remains on schedule.
The former two-weight champion is still recovering from a leg break he suffered in his last outing, with his return to the octagon being pushed back until early 2023. "A fun little venture then switching back to climbing the mountain again. It fits in perfectly. He’s still on track for a big return next year, but this fits in perfectly in the meantime," Simpson told MMA Junkie.
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"Acting wasn't something I think that Conor at the very front of his mind, right now he's still a world class athlete and his focus is being the best fighter in the world. But as the injury continues to heal and he continues to prepare for a comeback, the timing worked well. It's a great opportunity to do a big Hollywood blockbuster in meantime and he's going to kill it."
By the time McGregor returns to the cage, three years will have passed since his last UFC win. McGregor has recently spent time with his family in Marbella and is now in the Bahamas, but Simpson assured he is still training "like a madman" every day. "The leg is still healing, I think there's a little bit more to go on that but he's been training like a madman. Twice a day, every day. He's been training super hard, he's in amazing shape it's just the final adjustments to get that leg where it's supposed to be," he added.
McGregor could fight at either 155lb or 170lb in his return and Simpson believes the Irishman has earned the right to fight whoever he wants. "Conor has never in his life turned down a fight, whoever it is, the hardest challenge. He's never ever turned down a fight, he always seeks out the hardest challenges. He's earned the right to fight the biggest fights and decide what makes sense for him, the process [of choosing an opponent] depends where we at timing wise," he added.
