The devastating left hand of Conor McGregor has been a staple in his successful career to this point. Now, however, it appears to have turned into a setback as he aims to return to the Octagon. On Friday, McGregor shared a post on Instagram which revealed the left hand wrapped in a cast. McGregor didn't reveal the nature of the injury in the caption, but of course, he merely described it as a minor setback that he can eventually push through. 

"Intense training and sparring sessions, I will always push it to the limits," McGregor wrote. "This comes off and I push on! The Proper Don! Nothing will stop me."

McGregor (21-4), the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, has not competed inside the Octagon since his UFC 229 loss to reigning 155-pound champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. A post-fight melee stole all the headlines following the heated bout, and as a result of his participation, McGregor was dealt a retroactive six-month suspension that expired in April. With many of the top UFC lightweights currently attached to opponents in the near future, the most likely option for a return fight seems to be against Justin Gaethje, who recently said he's open to welcoming the former double-champ back to the cage. 

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Before we can place the primary focus on who McGregor faces upon his return, however, that vicious left hand needs to heal first. 

More UFC news, rumors

  • UFC has cut ties with heavyweight Justin Willis after two years with the promotion, according to TSN's Aaron Bronsteter. The reported reasoning behind the release could be a bit alarming for any promotion that may be interested in signing the now-free agent Willis. Per the report, Willis informed UFC that he would be unable to compete in a July 20 bout in San Antonio against Walt Harris over fear he wouldn't be able to make the 266-pound heavyweight limit. 
  • With the possibility existing that Rose Namajunas may never fight again, the expectation is that new women's strawweight champion Jessica Andrade is headed for a rematch with ex-champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. She may very well be, but in an interview with MMA Fighting, Andrade expressed her preference to see Jedrzejczyk earn the opportunity by proving herself against others first.