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UFC GOAT Georges St-Pierre believes Conor McGregor needs to put himself in what he brands the “hell zone” ahead of ‘The Notorious” MMA comeback at UFC 329.
The Irish MMA superstar has been outside of combat for five years, last breaking his tibia against Dustin Poirier in 2021. Since then, McGregor has fought more battles in court than in the Octagon, being found civilly liable for sexual assault by the Irish High Court in 2025.
This hasn’t barred McGregor from a UFC headliner, as he prepares for a high-profile rematch with No. 2 lightweight fighter Max Holloway in the main event of UFC 329 this July.
GettyConor McGregor has been more businessman than athlete in recent years
Georges St-Pierre Believes Conor McGregor Must Put Himself in Discomfort for UFC 329 Return
Speaking on The Break Talk, St-Pierre gave his unique insight into being a successful fighter making an important MMA comeback.
“… If Conor can put himself back into the grind and be hungry, into that hell zone. He has to see it in a way that he’s [in] the tunnel, but the light is after the fight,” St-Pierre remarked. “‘I have to go through that journey in order to see the light, but I’m not going to put myself in the light until I’m done with the fight.
“If he puts himself in that zone, we’re going to have a hell of a fight. . . . Because it’s hard once you made it, you’re a millionaire, you wake up in a nice bed, warm—go back into a discomfort zone… you need to be willing to do that. You need to be willing to go through an army of guys that are waiting for you in the gym to kick your ass.”
St-Pierre’s words echo Marvin Hagler’s comments on silk pyjamas.
“It’s tough to get out of bed to do roadwork at 5 am when you’ve been sleeping in silk pyjamas,” Hagler said in his classic quote. McGregor faces a similar conundrum ahead of him, having banked $158 million in 2021 alone from his business dealings.
He fights Holloway, a perennial contender in the lower weights, and one who has been diligent in McGregor’s absence. Old rival Eddie Alvarez believes Holloway’s activity is a key factor in this fight, but the stakes are high, with McGregor possibly getting a title shot from a win.
Who’s Fighting on the Undercard of Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway at UFC 329?
McGregor vs. Holloway II headlines a 14-fight card, subject to change:
- Conor McGregor (22-6) vs. Max Holloway (27-9); welterweight
- Benoit Saint-Denis (17-3) vs. Paddy Pimblett (23-4); lightweight
- Cory Sandhagen (18-6) vs. Mario Bautista (17-3); bantamweight
- Gable Steveson (3-0) vs. Elisha Ellison (5-2); heavyweight
- Brandon Royval (17-9) vs. Lone’er Kavanagh (10-1); flyweight
- Damian Pinas (9-1) vs. Cesar Almeida (7-2); middleweight
- Ryan Gandra (9-1) vs. Zach Reese (10-3); middleweight
- Cody Durden (18-10-1) vs. Ode Osbourne (13-9); flyweight
- Cody Garbrandt (15-7) vs. Adrian Yanez (17-6-1); bantamweight
- Kai Kamaka III (18-7-1) vs. Luke Riley (13-0); featherweight
- Robert Whittaker (26-9) vs. Nikita Krylov (31-11); light heavyweight
- Tracy Cortez (12-3) vs. Cong Wang (9-1); flyweight
- King Green (35-17-1) vs. Terrance McKinney (18-8); lightweight
- Farid Basharat (15-0) vs. Ethyn Ewing (10-2); bantamweight
Mathew Riddle is a credentialed combat sports journalist with half a decade of writing experience for some of the sport's top publications. He previously covered MMA and Boxing for Sports Illustrated and Bloody Elbow, where his work garnered the attention of millions of combat sports fans. More about Mathew Riddle