UFC champ Conor McGregor cautious of damage taken, but 'there is still a lot left in me'

There’s still a great lack of clarity about what Conor McGregor will do next when it comes to his combat sports career. One thing that he claims is certain, though, is that retirement is not yet in the cards.

McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC), the UFC lightweight champion, hasn’t stepped in the octagon in nearly 14 months. His most recent fight came in the boxing ring this past August, when he suffered a TKO loss to Floyd Mayweather in a highly anticipated spectacle.

In the months since the Mayweather bout, which gave “The Notorious” an extraordinary payday reportedly nearly the nine-figure mark, McGregor has made headlines for a variety of reasons. Few of those, however, have to do with booking his next fight.

Not much has changed on that front, but a recent McGregor interview with Sky Sports indicates he will compete again because he feels physically capable of doing so.

“I always look at the end from a damage-taken standpoint,” McGregor said. “How much damage have I taken? How is my brain? How is my mental health? How is my physical body? How is my training? How is my preparation? How is my hunger for it?

“That is where I gauge how long I will do it and there is still a lot left in me.”

Operating a combat sports career based on damage taken can be a fickle approach. It only takes an instant for a knockout blow to land or a serious injury to take place, and although McGregor has lost, he doesn’t appear to believe he’s been truly hurt at any point.

McGregor’s willingness to put his health on the line comes with a far greater reward than anyone in the sport, though. The financial upside to McGregor getting in the octagon makes the risk more worthwhile, but he argues it’s not all about the reward.

“It is not necessarily a money thing for me,” McGregor said. “I am passionate about fighting. Fighting is what I love to do. I will continue to do it as long as I am healthy and willing to put in the work that it takes to do.

“I will not be stupid, though. I will not notice things about myself and then continue to do it like many others before me.”

McGregor did not reveal when, where or against whom he could be fighting next. However, he did ensure that whenever his next fight does happen, he will be doing it with the proper motivations.

“It is a dangerous, ruthless business and I am aware of that,” McGregor said. “Thankfully I am in a position of great wealth. I do not need to do it. I am doing it for the love of it.

“I will make my decision when the time comes.”

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