#2. He risks aggravating past injuries/ suffering severe physical damage
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Financially, 2021 may have been a great year for Conor McGregor but luck did not favor the Irishman inside the octagon. In fact, it was one of the worst years of his fighting career. McGregor returned to the cage in January last year to face Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their 2014 clash.
Despite starting off well, McGregor's lead leg got compromised due to Poirier's leg kicks and he ended up suffering the first knockout loss of his career at UFC 257. Desperate to avenge the loss, the Irishman took on Poirier in a trilogy fight at UFC 264.
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At the end of the first round, McGregor ended up suffering a clean break in the tibia and fibula of his left leg, losing the fight via TKO (doctor's stoppage). He underwent surgery following the fight and had a titanium rod placed in his knee to help put the broken bones back in place.
Coming from a kickboxing background, McGregor often uses kicks to keep his opponents at bay or to set them up for his lethal left-hand strikes. It will be difficult for the Irishman to involve a lot of kicking in his gameplan after such an injury.
There is also the risk of getting kicked and ending up injuring the leg again. There's no doubt that his opponents will look to hurt McGregor's left leg, which could very well turn out to be the Achilles' heel for the Irishman going forward.
Having taken several strikes to the face and head during his fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier, one wonders if the Irishman's chin is as strong as it once was. For these reasons, it may be better if he doesn't risk stepping inside the octagon again.
#1. Fear of losing his legacy
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Conor McGregor's legacy as one of the most popular fighters of all time is already etched in stone. Having said that, he is on the verge of being regarded as an overrated fighter with good striking chops who made a name for himself because of his insane skills on the microphone.
The truth is, that's far from the case. McGregor is one of the best fighters to have graced the octagon and there's no doubt he is a world class athlete. However, if he loses three straight fights, recency bias will creep in and people will forget the Irishman's glory days in the promotion.
Although he is 1-3 in his last four fights, the losses came against Dustin Poirier and Khabib Nurmagomedov, two of the greatest lightweights of all time. There's no shame in losing to them. If McGregor returns to fight a lower-ranked fighter and ends up losing, his aura, star power, as well as credibility are sure to take a huge blow.
Is he willing to risk all that just for the sheer love of competition? Only time will tell.