After his gruesome ankle injury technical knockout loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, many mixed martial arts fans were left wondering what’s next for former two-weight UFC champion, and all-around superstar, Conor McGregor.
Is a fourth fight with Poirier — as UFC president Dana White has suggested — still in the cards? How about another blockbuster in a trilogy against old nemesis Nate Diaz? Here are five matchups that could make sense for McGregor’s anticipated 2022 return to the Octagon.
5 opponent options for Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz
The first two fights between McGregor and Nate Diaz were instant classics. Diaz’s upset submission win over McGregor, on short notice at UFC 196, launched the Stockton, California native into mainstream superstardom. Their second encounter was perhaps even better than the first, with both fighters pushing their skillsets and endurance to the limit in a five-round war that saw McGregor even the series at 1-1 via majority decision.
Now, with both McGregor and Diaz coming off consecutive losses to quality opposition, the time might be just right for a trilogy match. A third bout between the pair could have it all. A heated rivalry with two full-blown MMA stars, a trilogy that’s begging for someone to win bragging rights, and a matchup that could truly tell fans where each man is at in their respective careers.
Justin Gaethje
If McGregor wants to jump right back into the fire — and title contention — upon his return to the cage, former interim UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje could be the perfect opponent to do just that.
In addition to being a fun stylistic pairing, the bad blood between the Irishman and Gaethje is an easy sell. After Poirier knocked out McGregor back in January, Gaethje told MMAJunkie, “I love seeing a loudmouth get knocked out. There is nothing that makes me happier. Seeing a piece of sh*t get put down. That was great. I loved it.”
The two have traded words on Twitter before, with “Notorious” promising to “smoke” Gaethje and his coach, Trevor Wittman, “at the same time.” Some months earlier, Gaethje had taken to the social media app to label McGregor “a sh*t human, father, and husband.”
Islam Makhachev
As White now knows after the umpteenth try to bring Nurmagomedov out of retirement, it’s not likely that we’ll see the undefeated Russian champion ever put the gloves on again. Of course, that means McGregor probably won’t get that rematch with Dagestani sports icon that he’s been clamoring for since their first go around. But that doesn’t mean the war of words cooled down — not even close.
While Nurmagomedov’s continued retirement rules out a rematch between the two, the former champion’s protege, Islam Makhachev, could make for an interesting and similar option. In addition to the enduring bad blood between the two camps, the UFC has pushed Makhachev as his mentor’s successor, giving him a recent main event slot at UFC Vegas 31.
With Makhachev now a top five-ranked lightweight, this fight could check all the boxes for McGregor’s return.
Tony Ferguson
A fight between McGregor and former interim UFC lightweight champion Tony Ferguson has always been just out of reach. With the two men having parallel rises to the top of the lightweight division that never intersected. However, now might be the time to make a fight that should guarantee highlight reel-worthy moments between. Ferguson is known to be one of the more violently exciting fighters on the roster, and McGregor’s finishing abilities are the stuff of YouTube lore.
Both McGregor and Ferguson, 37, have dropped multiple fights in a row, but both men still believe they have a viable path to the coveted UFC championship. Ferguson is just outside of the lightweight top-five at six, which means he could view a McGregor bout as a catapult back into title contention.
With Ferguson unready to call it quits and McGregor likely to need extensive time to recover, this fight remains a possibility for the UFC going forward.
Max Holloway
Some of McGregor’s biggest fights have been rematches. However, one fighter the Irishman has yet to battle a second time is a fan favorite in former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway.
With two close losses to champion Alexander Volkanovski in the rearview mirror, Holloway doesn’t have too many consequential fights left for him at 145 pounds. A weight he has struggled to make in the past. As such, it may be time for Holloway to move up to lightweight and up a rematch with McGregor.
The Hawaiian has been north of featherweight in the UFC once before, taking Poirier to the brink in an interim lightweight title fight many consider to be one of the best fights of all time. Coincidentally, that fight was also a rematch.
If Holloway decides to return to the lightweight division for the second half of his career, a booking with McGregor is the biggest option available. And with both men’s mainstream appeal — Holloway has developed a popular Twitch channel and made pop culture appearances — the UFC could be in favor of this as a comeback fight for McGregor.
–Field Level Media
