McGregor fighting fit

It is 19 months now since Conor McGregor last fought in Dublin, and it is an evening worth revisiting as he returns to the Octagon tonight as the headline act in the UFC’s latest Fight Night at the O2.

The Dubliner was appearing for the last time in the Cage Warrior Fighting Championship. The venue was The Helix on his native city’s northside, a state-of-the-art construction, but one that held a 10th of the crowd that will worship his moves this weekend.

Ivan Buchinger was the opponent, an experienced and capable Slovakian with a 21-3 record who had been knocked out just once in those 24 fights, and only then by what was generally agreed to be a freak occurrence.