Joe Rogan charts best "path to success" for Conor McGregor upon return - "Don't put him in there right away with Usman" 

Joe Rogan doesn't think fighting Kamaru Usman in his comeback fight is the best way forward for Conor McGregor.

McGregor has made it clear that he intends to jump right into a title fight with either Charles Oliveira or Kamaru Usman in his first fight back. However, Rogan said he wouldn't advise the Irishman to fight any elite contenders, let alone the top pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC.

Appearing as a guest on the "4/20 special" episode of Hotboxin' with Mike Tyson, Rogan opined:

"If Conor wants the most chance of success, I would say fight a guy who is a little below championship-level. Maybe like a guy on the come-up, who Conor has an advantage over, but is still a competitive fight. Give him a test. But don't put him in there right away with Usman."

Check out Joe Rogan's comments on Conor McGregor below:

The popular podcaster believes McGregor should be looking at matchups along the same lines as his Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone fight in 2020. 'The Notorious' fought Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246 after going on a 15-month hiatus from competing. It was the last time McGregor tasted victory inside the octagon.

Meanwhile, Usman dismissed McGregor's recent callout during an interview with TMZ Sports. The reigning welterweight champion called McGregor "irrelevant," saying he's focused on his upcoming title fight with Leon Edwards.

Watch Kamaru Usman's interview below:

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Joe Rogan explains why Conor McGregor would benefit from a tune-up fight

Joe Rogan highlighted how a tune-up fight would help Conor McGregor get back to his winning ways. On the same episode of Mike Tyson's podcast, the UFC commentator said:

"I think, honestly, when boxers come back from a long layoff and they come back from a loss, one thing that boxers do that's smart is they have a tune-up fight. I think there's a reason why they've been using tune-up fights forever like astute managers. They know you got to knock the dust off and you'll be better in the next performance."

The renowned comic added that jumping back into action against the likes of Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler could be a tall order for the former champ-champ.

His personal opinions aside, though, Rogan said McGregor should do what he believes is best for his career.