The recent civil lawsuit seems to not just have tainted Conor McGregor‘s image but has also been affecting him from a business standpoint. After reports emerged that his alcoholic beverage brands, Proper 12 and Forged Irish Stout, were removed from various distributor outlets, rumor has it that his run as a part-owner of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship has come to an end. How can McGregor escape this predicament? Well, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson suggests ‘The notorious’ does what he’s famous for.

Conor McGregor has been away from action for more than three years, and in that time, numerous controversies have come to the fore. Josh Thomson, while speaking to John McCarthy on the ‘Weighing In’ podcast, revealed that the only correct measure for ‘The Notorious’ is to make his way back to the Octagon as soon as he gets his bearing right. “In terms of the Conor thing, I mean, Conor got his own issues to work. I think with the Conor situation, I really believe that Conor’s gonna end up getting a fight under his belt as soon as possible,” Josh said.

Now, what could be the reason behind coming back to public attention and fighting while he’s having real troubles? Well, according to the veteran, coming back to compete will eventually help Conor McGregor put these controversies behind him, and the talks will slowly fade away—something that has happened to many athletes from various sporting backgrounds. Josh Thomson noted, “What that does is, that takes away all the press about what’s happening. It just puts the press and the eyeballs back in his fighting career.”

“They will talk about his fighting career, [and if] he gets a win in the fighting career, and guess what? All the other stuff, they stop talking about [it.],” Thomson added. For context, a similar thing happened to Jon Jones, who sparked a plethora of controversies due to his legal troubles. However, all that simmered down when he stepped inside the Octagon, keeping people’s focus fixated on his MMA career. Now, it seems like Conor McGregor may just do what Josh Thomson has suggested, given his statement after the whole legal mess indicated a possible comeback to the UFC.

“Getting back to the gym,” claims Conor McGregor

Breaking his silence, McGregor revealed that he’s going to take the step to appeal the court’s decision regarding his behavioral misconduct lawsuit. While expressing gratitude for his family, friends, and fans across the world, Conor McGregor claimed his next course of action is to get back to the “fight game” because he’s already hitting the mats in the gym.

“I can’t go back and I will move forward. I am beyond grateful to my family, friends, and supporters all over the world who have stayed by my side. That’s it. No more. Getting back to the gym- the fight game awaits,” McGregor tweeted just over 24 hours ago. So, does this mean that we might see an early 2025 return from the Irishman? Well, that depends on Dana White.

However, it seems like Conor McGregor has another problem due to the lawsuit—video clips of certain gyms removing his murals from their walls have also garnered attention online. But his home gym, Straight Blast Gym, has still kept its associations with the Irishman intact. Dana White recently claimed that even if they are looking to make McGregor return in early 2025, most factors have indicated that the comeback is going to be possible during the latter half of next year.

What do you think about Conor McGregor’s possible return to the Octagon? Share in the comments below.