"The karate stance is back" - Fans hyped up about Conor McGregor's UFC return after months of waiting

Conor McGregor hasn't fought since a catastrophic end to his rubber match with Dustin Poirier back in 2021. The Irishman snapped his lower shin in half, sidelining him for over two years now. While the UFC announced plans for a bout between 'The Notorious' and Michael Chandler, there is still no official date.

Furthermore, the Irishman's continued issues with USADA and his refusal to reenter the drug-testing pool have only worsened the prospects for his octagon return. Nevertheless, Conor McGregor has continued training, often posting updates on his progress and sparring sessions on Instagram.

Off the heels of his sparring session with Ian Machado Garry, the Irishman posted several pictures of a new training session. It revealed the adoption of his old, wide, bladed karate stance, which he had largely abandoned after his featherweight run. Although he briefly used it in the Dustin Poirier trilogy bout.

The sight of Conor McGregor's karate stance sent fans on Instagram into a frenzy. One fan expressed excitement over the return of the Irishman's iconic stance, and exclaimed their readiness to witness what they believe will be the greatest comeback in sports history:

"The karate stance is back. About time we witness the greatest comeback in the history of sports."

Another fan praised McGregor's striking skills:

"They can't stand in front of you, they can't"

The general excitement for the former UFC double champion's return was echoed by another comment:

"Mcgregor fast looking good champ slice and dice IE @thenotoriousmma"

Another fan similarly expressed excitement for McGregor's inevitable octagon return:

"Bro been stretching! Can't wait for the comeback"

A collage of fan reactions can be seen below:

Fan reactions

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Is Conor McGregor headlining a UFC card in December?

After Sean O'Malley stunned the bantamweight division by dethroning Aljamain Sterling as its reigning champion, 'Sugar' expressed a desire to co-main event a December pay-per-view, with Conor McGregor serving as the headline act. The suggestion was one that the Irishman approved of.

McGregor even leaked an unverified image that seemed to imply that he would indeed headline UFC 296 against Michael Chandler in December. Unfortunately, the image was later revealed to be fraudulent and there has been no such announcement of a McGregor fight scheduled for December.