Many fight fans agree that Conor McGregor hasn’t been the same fighter — or person — since earning generational wealth from his high-profile boxing match with Floyd Mayweather years ago.
Once tied to a potential bout with Michael Chandler this year, McGregor’s return to the Octagon was ultimately scrapped. Despite UFC CEO Dana White’s insistence that the irishman will fight again, the former two-division champion has been absent from competition since July 2021, when he suffered a gruesome leg injury.
Notably, McGregor has won only one fight since November 2016, posting a 1-3 record during that time.
During a conversation with YouTuber Derek Munro of More Plates More Dates on the Joe Rogan Experience, the color commentator weighed in on McGregor’s ongoing controversies, including a recent guilty civil verdict for sexual assault in Ireland and his turbulent behavior outside the cage. Rogan speculated that McGregor’s decline may be attributed to head trauma and drug use, including alleged cocaine use.
“I don’t know if Conor’s ever going to fight again,” Rogan said. “I don’t know the real details of that case. I know his version of it, her version of it, and what played out in court. But the reality is, that guy’s partying, and he’s partying real hard. He talked about it in the court case. He was talking about cocaine. That was the whole thing: ‘We were all doing cocaine and we were f**king.’”
Munro referenced recent viral videos showing McGregor seemingly under the influence, but Rogan emphasized that these allegations remain unconfirmed.
“A lot of fighters have sustained significant damage over the course of their careers, and there’s no way to avoid it,” Rogan continued. “We’ve all seen Conor get beat up and knocked out. We’ve seen his sparring footage with elite fighters. You’re getting hit in the head. A lot. And for many fighters, especially toward the end of their careers, drugs become an outlet.”
Rogan highlighted the cumulative toll of years of training and fighting, explaining how consistent head trauma disrupts brain chemistry and can lead to unhealthy coping mechanisms.
“You’re not supposed to get punched in the head a thousand times a year,” Rogan said. “That’s the reality of consistent training. Then you mix in a little bit of coke, and you’re feeling good again. I bet it becomes addictive.”
He also drew parallels to other fighters with tumultuous personal lives, such as Jon Jones, emphasizing the wild and extreme nature of many elite athletes.
“The guy obviously likes extreme things, which is why he’s such a great fighter,” Rogan noted. “They’re wild people.”
