Conor McGregor's Coach: Negotiations 'Ongoing' for UFC Star's Return Fight

John Kavanagh, the head coach of UFC superstar Conor McGregor, said the former featherweight and lightweight champion is involved in "ongoing" negotiations for a potential return to the Octagon after showing a "real fire" in recent training sessions.

On Wednesday, Kavanagh told Brett Okamoto of ESPN.com he doesn't blame McGregor for exploring other avenues for financial success before turning his focus back to MMA.

"I really have seen the spark back lately," he said. "I think that was directed at other areas of his life for a while, building up his business world—which is completely justified. We all know the hard luck stories of fighters retiring broke. They get pats on the back and they're forgotten."

McGregor's last UFC fight came in November 2016 when he defeated Eddie Alvarez by second-round knockout to become the lightweight champion. He was stripped of the belt in April because of his inactivity.

The 29-year-old Irishman changed combat sports to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a boxing match last August. He lost by 10th-round TKO and never seriously challenged one of the best boxers in history, but the fight led to a massive payday.

Forbes ranked him fourth on its annual list of the world's highest-paid athletes at $99 million, including $85 million from the Mayweather clash and $14 million from endorsement deals.

His return to the world of MMA was delayed following an arrest for attacking a bus after a UFC 223 media event in April.

UFC president Dana White originally raised doubts about whether McGregor would fight in the promotion again after the incident.

"Obviously, the big question everybody's been asking me is, 'Are you firing Conor McGregor?'" White told ESPN. "This is bigger than Conor McGregor getting fired. There are so many more moving pieces to this thing."

He added: "Conor is in a lot of trouble."

McGregor briefly spoke with reporters after a court hearing in the case last month and said he was hopeful of a quick resolution, saying: "I regret my actions that led me here today."

Kavanagh said the UFC is "working on" a possible encounter between McGregor and current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov for the star's return bout.