It looks like retirement doesn’t suit Conor McGregor, as last week the prospect of his return again stirred the MMA world again. On the social media platform Threads, Michael Chandler called out McGregor, writing, “conor!!! 1/24/26,” hinting that the long-awaited fight against ‘The Notorious’ might finally be set in motion. The Irishman responded in the same thread with, “unfinished,” business signaling a comeback may be on the horizon, even as he acknowledges the chaos surrounding his return.

Now, Conor McGregor has turned his attention to his admirer and supporter, former bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley. ‘Suga’ is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, aiming to reclaim his lost title and restore his confidence at UFC 316. This weekend in New Jersey, O’Malley will fight reigning champion Merab Dvalishvili. Both fighters are leaving no stone unturned. The former 135lbs champ recently revealed he’s drawing “inspiration” from ‘The Notorious’s UFC 202 performance against Nate Diaz.

Meanwhile, ‘Suga’ has been replicating that same electric atmosphere in his gym—from the locker room to the walkout entrance, complete with crowd noise—to prepare for the intense pressure of the fight. UFC megastar Conor McGregor himself acknowledged O’Malley’s dedication by retweeting a clip and writing, “very reminiscent of my Diaz 2 prep. Intriguing! BIG FIGHT FELL!”

Nearly a decade ago, Conor McGregor found himself in the exact position O’Malley is in now—after suffering his first loss in the promotion to Nate Diaz at UFC 196. Similarly, O’Malley is coming off a defeat to Merab Dvalishvili from their first encounter at the Sphere. Just as ‘The Notorious’ avenged his loss and evened the score in the rematch with Diaz, O’Malley now aims to rewrite history and come out on top in this highly anticipated showdown.

Can Sean O’Malley get his revenge?

Conor McGregor reacted to Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili 2.0.

Drawing inspiration from his idol Conor McGregor, Sean O’Malley has been meticulously recreating the atmosphere around him ahead of his UFC 316 showdown with Merab Dvalishvili, while also studying the Irishman’s legendary rematch against Nate Diaz at UFC 202. Much like ‘The Notorious’, who faced a tough defeat to the Stockton native in their first encounter and bore the weight of that loss, ‘Suga’ now carries a similar burden as he prepares for his big fight.

Before their first meeting at UFC 306, the bantamweight star aimed to outdo Conor McGregor’s legacy. However, his progress was stalled by ‘The Machine’s relentless wrestling and seemingly endless stamina, which wore him down over the final three rounds. This setback led Sean O’Malley to study the former double champion’s path to redemption against Diaz, as revealed in the UFC’s embedded vlog series for the pay-per-view.

A clip of Conor O’Malley watching McGregor’s fight against Nate Diaz caught McGregor’s attention on social media. Putting past differences aside, McGregor has expressed enthusiasm for the upcoming rematch between O’Malley and ‘The Machine’. On X, McGregor wrote, “Very excited for this match.”

Given all his dedication, do you think O’Malley’s effort to channel McGregor’s aura will be enough to break his losing streak? After all, Merab Dvalishvili is a very different challenge than Nate Diaz.