Gunnar Nelson expects teammate Conor McGregor to shine in his UFC return if he comes prepared: “He’ll kick the sh*t out of him”

UFC welterweight Gunnar Nelson expects Conor McGregor to shine when returning to the Octagon – if he trains properly.

It’s been well-documented that Conor McGregor has a pretty tight circle of friends in mixed martial arts. One person who has been there for the majority of his journey is none other than Gunnar Nelson.

While he hasn’t always been the most consistent in the cage, Gunnar has always stuck by Conor’s side. This weekend, the 34-year-old will return after a year away at UFC 286 in London, England. According to the Irishman, he’ll even be there live to see his friend compete.

As McGregor prepares to take on Michael Chandler later this year, Nelson recently gave his thoughts on how he thinks the contest will play out.

“It’s an interesting one,” Nelson said. “If Conor trains properly and is in shape, he’ll kick the sh*t out of him.”

Nelson went on to give his thoughts on his own return to action this weekend against Bryan Barberena.

“I didn’t really mind too much,” Nelson said. “It was nice of them to bring in another southpaw. I like that. I’m well used to opponents being changed, and I think more often than not it’s happened. So I don’t really get too engaged with my first opponent. ‘Bam Bam’ is a stud. He’s a veteran and I’m really happy he stepped up.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

Nelson backs McGregor

The dream scenario for SBG would be a UFC Dublin card at some point in the future. For now, though, fans will just be happy to see Nelson and McGregor get back to what they do best.

Are you excited to see Gunnar Nelson return on Saturday night? Do you agree with his assessment of McGregor vs Chandler? Let us know in the comments, BJPENN Nation!