Conor McGregor has been stepping up his preparations for his UFC return against Max Holloway next month
Tom Malley U.S. Sports Reporter
19:47, 16 Jun 2026
The Irishman sports a pair of Nike Air Mags. (Image: X/TheNotoriousMMA)
Conor McGregor stepped up his preparations for his upcoming UFC comeback against Max Holloway next month by sparring at Crumlin Boxing Club — wearing a pair of Nike Air Mags.
The Dublin fighter, 37, is now just weeks away from making his octagon return for the first time since July 2021, and has been keeping fans in the loop throughout his training camp by regularly posting photos and videos of his progress.
Earlier this month, McGregor left followers gobsmacked when he displayed his chiselled physique following a sparring session with boxer Craig Kavanagh, demonstrating just how relentlessly he has been grafting to get himself back into peak condition ahead of his bout with Holloway.
Now, the Dubliner has shared his freshest gym snaps as his UFC comeback draws ever closer — only this time, it’s not his impressive physique or his training regime that has got fans talking, but rather the footwear he’s sporting.
Taking to X this week, McGregor posted four photos alongside the caption: “I am very happy with my fight date to show these guys are not on my level,” reports the Irish Star.
Pictured in the shots, McGregor is seen lacing up in a pair of Nike Air Mags — an iconic, highly limited-edition trainer that originally featured in the 1989 blockbuster Back to the Future Part II before eventually becoming a real-life product.
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The extraordinarily rare shoe, celebrated for its futuristic glowing LED panels and “power-lacing” technology, is hugely coveted amongst collectors and routinely fetches resale prices of $15,000 to $30,000, depending on the release year. On StockX, a web-based marketplace and clothing reseller, a pair of 2011 Nike MAGs currently carries a price tag of $28,963, while the most recent transaction for the 2016 version stands at $77,242.
Considering McGregor’s wealth, this represents pocket change for him, although his decision to train in such a coveted trainer indicates he may well possess multiple pairs.
This has even prompted some supporters to predict he will demolish Holloway if he’s capable of sparring in Nike MAGs, with one individual responding beneath his upload: “Dude’s sparring in Mags, pack it up this is over already.”
The iconic, highly limited-edition sneaker originally appeared in the 1989 film Back to the Future Part II before becoming a real product. (Image: StockX)
Moments before his post flaunting his Nike Air Mags, McGregor had been sharing his thoughts on the UFC White House card, and after Ilia Topuria’s loss to Justin Gaethje in the headline bout, declared that “Family shouldn’t be in the corner. Whatsoever.”
McGregor’s comment presumably referenced Topuria’s brother, who formed part of his corner squad and had been amongst those urging the Spanish-Georgian fighter to press on with his bout against Gaethje, despite him confessing he couldn’t see from either eye.
Bloodied, battered, and bruised, Topuria was so severely beaten that he lost his sight, yet notwithstanding admitting this to the referee and a medic advocating for the contest to be stopped, he battled on, though the choice appeared heavily swayed by the 29-year-old’s team.
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