Conor McGregor was once considered as the UFC’s face of the game. Unfortunately, that came to a sudden end when he was stripped off his belt during last April’s UFC 299. It was a disastrous loss for him as it ended in a fourth-round submission loss.
Now, reigning champ Khabib Nurmagomedov proved he was the better fighter between the two. But does that mean McGregor’s fabled days are done? Well, technically speaking, he’s far from over.
He’s still got a huge fan-base, a healthy body, and an ever-more fierce passion to reclaim what he once had. Of course, everyone wants to see a rematch between him and the Russian. However, that seems unlikely especially that things escalated to violence outside the octagon the last time they countered.
Also, the UFC is keen to have Khabib fight Tony Ferguson as this will bring back meritocracy in the league. With this, it’d make sense for the Irishman to fight a top contender to bring back his lost glory.
As of now, McGregor is under a six-month suspension after being part of a brawl during UFC 229. The Irishman, however, will be eligible to return back to the cage from April 6 and onwards.
So, who are the men he’s likely to face next? Read on.
Tony Ferguson
This comes as a surprise especially that Tony needs to fight Khabib to earn a title. However, there’s a good chance this won’t happen as Conor still holds a strong grasp in the UFC. There’s also this hanging uncertainty on when Nurmagomedov can go back to action.
So, with this doubts as to when the Russian will be back, it’s very likely that UFC’ management are going to pit Ferguson with McGregor, which whether we like it or not, makes a lot of sense. McGregor needs to defeat someone who’s in power, and that someone is Ferguson.
Tony Ferguson
This comes as a surprise especially that Tony needs to fight Khabib to earn a title. However, there’s a good chance this won’t happen as Conor still holds a strong grasp in the UFC. There’s also this hanging uncertainty on when Nurmagomedov can go back to action.
So, with this doubts as to when the Russian will be back, it’s very likely that UFC’ management are going to pit Ferguson with McGregor, which whether we like it or not, makes a lot of sense. McGregor needs to defeat someone who’s in power, and that someone is Ferguson.
Dustin Poirier
McGregor and Dustin Pourier faced each other in the Octagon five years ago during UFC 178. It was a huge win for Conor as he dismantled the Louisiana native in the first round. But as bad as it may seem for Dustin, his disappointing defeat marked the change that he wanted for himself.
Since then, he won eight of his last ten fights. He even won his fights against Eddie Alvarez and Anthony Pettis in style. Unfortunately, Dustin is caught in the middle of a UFC logjam. What usually happens is that winning over two former champs guarantees you a shot to the title.
That doesn’t seem to be the case with him. So, with this, the best thing for him to do is to avenge his loss against Conor. After all, there’s always another way to reach to the top, right?
Rafael dos Anjos
Dos Anjos ruled the lightweight division thanks to his consistent strength and, of course, marketing wit. He was even scheduled to face McGregor in UFC 196. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t by his side as he sustained a foot injury during training.
This got him out of the bout and stopped him from receiving the supposedly biggest pay day he’ll ever get. He was about to get that opportunity again after he was headlined to fight Conor in UFC 234. But then again, that didn’t happen due to issues with the RDA.
Having lost two opportunities of him facing McGregor might seem like a deal breaker for him. However, that can also fuel and reignite the fans’ clamor in seeing the two bitter rivals fight. This is especially true now that they’ve already had a built-in narrative. The possibility might still be farfetched for now, but you can stay up-to-date if you sign up with William Hill promo code or other reputable sports betting sites.
Final Words
With this being said, one can clearly see that McGregor’s career is far from over, as what many of his critics like to force. The Irishman is still in peak health and is more than ready to exact vengeance on his lost glory.
He might talk a lot, but most of the time, he walks his talk. That’s what’s important for now. Expect his next fight to be between any of the three fighters. For sure, it’s going to be another sketchy and blatantly thrilling ride for both parties, including yourself.