Conor McGregor will be returning to the Octagon on Saturday for the first in five years, and he says it took some soul-searching to get to this point.

McGregor is set to collide with Max Holloway in the final bout on the UFC 329 card in Las Vegas. The “Notorious” one hasn’t seen active pro MMA competition since suffering a broken leg against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Fans expected to see McGregor back in 2024, but an injury setback led to disappointment.

The road back to fighting hasn’t been an easy one for McGregor. Episode three of “UFC 329 Embedded” highlighted the Irishman’s recent interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto. McGregor admitted some introspection was needed before he was ready to get back to the action.

“You know, you’ve got to dig deep, and you’ve got to prove to yourself you are what you say you are,” McGregor said. “So, that’s what it was for me. I was using it as motivation. It takes a lot of deep internal work to return from an injury like that. I just used that as motivation. Lovely. I wish for it to be that way because now I can show, and on Saturday night I’m gonna show. I love fight night, fight week, and god willing I’m back here next week and the week after. We plan on getting busy here. So, I’ll need to keep that fire and that venom. Literally, that’s what it will be. It will be venomous inside this Octagon.”

McGregor is the underdog going into his clash with Holloway, as many question just how much “Mystic Mac” has left given his inactivity. “Blessed” is motivated to put on a vintage performance after his disappointing BMF title loss against Charles Oliveira back in March. McGregor’s insists that his motivation overpowers any man that stands across from him.

Will Conor McGregor’s decision to return pay off in more ways than a big check on Saturday, or will it be a bad night in the office for the megastar? Leave a comment with your opinion in the chat below.