McGregor’s back

Conor returns to Radio City stage loudly

Conor McGregor bellied up to his makeshift bar, plopped his dress shoes on the table and took a swig of his own Irish whiskey.

Take a shot for every profanity belched out by the returning star?

You’d be toast.

But UFC can raise a glass to the return of the most loquacious, dangerous and biggest money-making star in the promotion’s 25year history. McGregor sat on the Radio City Music Hall stage — the second home for Santa Claus — and tried to make believers out of his doubters that he’s back and ready to shake off his rust and beat Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 in October.

McGregor took center stage in a fitting city to hype his comeback after a two-year hiatus — he last fought in November 2016 at Madison Square Garden and it was this past April in Brooklyn where he went wild in an underground rampage, with Nurmagomedov his intended target. McGregor was arrested, and was sentenced to perform five days of community service, avoiding jail time in a plea deal.

No one can put a lid on his mouth. McGregor brought two UFC championship belts with him, though he holds no title, and a bottle of his Proper No. Twelve whiskey. He saved his biggest shots for Nurmagomedov.

McGregor on his branded booze sponsoring the fight: “It’s on the canvas. Like his blood will be on the canvas.”

McGregor and Nurmagomedov will meet on Oct. 6 in the main event of the UFC 229 pay-per-view show at T-Mobile Arena, the same spot where Floyd Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round of their one-sided prizefight.

LAVER CUP

Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic have played against each other 46 times. From Monaco to Shanghai and everywhere in between. Regular, run-of-the-mill tournaments and major finals.

On Friday night, they play on the same side of the net for the first time.

Federer and Djokovic will close out the first day of the second edition of the Laver Cup when they take on Jack Sock and Kevin Anderson in doubles at the United Center. Federer and Djokovic are playing for Team Europe, while Sock and Anderson are competing for Team World in the Ryder Cup-style event.

“We have had so many great battles in all the singles courts, and to finally team up together I think is going to be very special for both of us,” Federer said Thursday. “I think we still have to talk over it a little bit exactly maybe either who’s going to take the lead or, you know, how do we play exactly.”