Eddie Alvarez Warns Conor McGregor About the Dangers of Long Layoffs

Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor (Photo by Imagn)

Eddie Alvarez Warns Conor McGregor About the Dangers of Long Layoffs

Originally posted on Total Pro Sports | By Pavan Sharma | Last updated Jun 9, 2026 3:54 AM ET

Eddie Alvarez knows Conor McGregor better than most. He was on the other end of one of McGregor’s most iconic performances, knocked out in the first round at UFC 205, the night the Irishman became a two-division champion. Now that McGregor is set to return on July 11, Alvarez is speaking from experience. And he has his doubts.

Alvarez didn’t make a personal judgment about McGregor’s talent or legacy. Instead, he pointed out something the sport has demonstrated repeatedly across generations. As he sees it, inactivity costs fighters things that training camps and motivation cannot fully make up for. And given that McGregor is returning after five years away, he does not expect him to perform as well as he did before.

“The universal law of fighting is you can’t put it down and pick it up whenever you want. If anyone can make a comeback, it’s Conor, but I think he’s been too far out of that character to come back against an active guy,” Alvarez said.

Eddie Alvarez on Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC

“The universal law of fighting is you can’t put it down and pick it up whenever you want. If anyone can make a comeback it’s Conor but I think he’s been too far out of that character to come back against an active guy” pic.twitter.com/qES7XHzf2Z
— FULL SEND MMA (@full_send_mma) June 9, 2026

The physical gifts, the mentality, the experience at the highest level. If the ingredients exist anywhere, they exist with McGregor. Whether they survived five years away from the octagon is what July 11 is for. Meanwhile, McGregor’s coach feels ‘The Notorious’ will perform as he did against Chad Mendes.

John Kavanagh Expects Vintage Conor McGregor at UFC 329

July 11 has always been a special date for McGregor. Back in 2015, he beat Mendes and won his first UFC title. Now, 11 years later, McGregor is set to return on the same date at UFC 329 against Max Holloway in Las Vegas. His coach, John Kavanagh, pointed out the connection between the two dates. “July 11th 2015, July 11th 2026. So it is written,” Kavanagh wrote on X.

Nobody knows what will happen on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena. McGregor has not fought in five years. During that time, Holloway kept fighting and kept getting better. Now they will meet again. One man wants to bring back the old days. The other wants to show that the game has moved on.

This article first appeared on Total Pro Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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