Coach John Kavanagh will be “pushing very hard” to get Conor McGregor back to MMA

Ever since UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor came up short against Floyd Mayweather Jr.in the boxing ring earlier this year, we’ve been wondering what his next move will be. While that next move is still very much up in the air, his coach John Kavanagh is hoping it’s a return to the UFC’s Octagon – not the boxing ring.

“I’m just happy to see him back, just regular training,” Kavanagh said in an interview with BBC Sport (h/t MMAFighting.com), referencing Conor McGregor’s return to MMA training “He had a lot going on in his life. A lot of stuff outside of fighting was going on in his life and he seems to be getting the hang of all that. Now he’s back training almost every day now and I think 2018 will be another big year for us. Exactly what that is, I don’t know yet, but the plan is forming. Stay tuned.”

Kavanagh then explained that McGregor is currently weighing his options, but that he is definitely still the true UFC lightweight champion..

“Conor’s still the champion,” said Kavanagh. “He can says what he wants but I have his belt at home. He’s still the champion. He’s making the decision on what makes sense for the next move but it’s kind of early days yet. We’re just watching how that has developed while he’s been away. Let’s see what happens in 2018. I’m excited about it.”

“You want to know my opinion?” Kavanagh continued. “I’ll be pushing very hard for MMA. The boxing was a nice detour from what we’ve done but mixed martial arts is my passion so if I have anything to do with it, he’ll be in the octagon this year.”

Who do you think Conor McGregor will end up fighting if he returns to the UFC’s Octagon?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/8/2018.