Conor McGregor: Let’s see if this guy can fight

AND so, back to the octagon. So rarely has Conor McGregor been out of the spotlight since high summer last year that it’s pertinent to note how briefly he has actually been inside the confines of a closed cage. Thirteen seconds has been his lot. In almost eight months. Thirteen seconds. Three punches. That’s it.

The UFC’s combatant-in-chief could be forgiven then - unlikely as it may be - if he takes things a little slowly to begin with in the small hours of tomorrow morning at the MGM Grand. McGregor and Nate Diaz will go toe-to-toe in the headline bout of UFC 196 just 11 days after the card was turned upside down.

What was meant to be a lightweight title superfight is now a welterweight non-championship bout. No belt on the line, no history either but with McGregor involved, there’s no such thing as a nothing fight.