With hopes of McGregor returning to the ring this year, we are looking at who could be next in line to fight the Notorious one.
The fighting pride of Ireland Conor McGregor suffered the worst injury of his professional MMA career in 2021. An eye-watering leg break whilst completing his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier has kept the Notorious one sidelined since July of last year.
Fanatics of the fight game will be pleased to know that McGregor’s physical status is positive. Right now, he’s expected to begin full-time training within the next four weeks.
But, as the 33-year-old former UFC two-division champion was left in the octagon last July suffering consecutive losses to Poirier, the speculations on his next opponent are naturally looming.
A long line of potentials – who could be next to take on the Notorious one?
Of course, a long list of fighters are waiting for a so-called ‘money-fight’ versus McGregor, including Max Holloway, Alexander Volkanovski, and Nate Diaz.
A trilogy bout with Nate Diaz has been in high demand for years. Meanwhile, many believe a fourth meeting with Poirier is warranted after the previous bout concluded due to an injury.
However, with two fights remaining on his contract, UFC President Dana White hinted the Irishman is likely to match up with Diaz in a highly anticipated trilogy upon his return.
Most anticipated fight of the year – big bets to be expected
When and who Conor returns to will unquestionably be the most anticipated fight of the year. It will also be the most wagered on contest within the sports betting markets.
We can’t make viable predictions on Conor’s return date or his opponent. However, we can guarantee that New York sports betting will take a large number of bets. The newly instated laws allowing online gambling will heavily assist the Irishman’s viewership and overall hype.
With that said, White also spoke to ESPN and highlighted that speculation on return dates and opponents is stupid.
“I don’t know if Conor will be back this summer,” White commented.
“That’s all going to depend on how Conor’s leg heals and a million other things that could happen between now and summer. So, to speculate is stupid. I just stopped doing that.
“When Conor calls me and says, ‘I’m ready to go full bore and start training a hundred per cent’, then we start talking about what’s possible for Conor.”
Another fight against Nate Diaz – one for the fans
McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh recently echoed the excitement of a potential trilogy bout against Nate Diaz.
He said, “It doesn’t really matter; you say any name, and it’s exciting, but probably the Diaz trilogy would be a fan favourite. Let’s get him back healthy, back ready, and back competing.
“He has won a couple of belts and earned all the money. He has achieved all those targets and exceeded them. At this stage, it’s all about exciting fights.
“So, whether it’s Volkanovski, Holloway, or Diaz, it’s just about getting back to training and getting back to competing.”
Despite White and Kavanagh’s rumours and recent comments, it’s looking like a rematch with either Diaz or Poirier could be off the cards.
Poirier vs Diaz – another highly anticipated event
During UFC’s most recent pay-per-view event (UFC 271) at the Toyota Center in Texas, Poirier was confident that he’d meet with Diaz in the summer. In addition, Diaz told TMZ that he wants his retirement bout with Poirier.
“I think there’s a good chance it’s going to happen,” Poirier said. “I think summer is probably a good target if I were to put one on a calendar, but I’m not sure. But I have a good feeling that it’s going to happen. I’m not sure if I’m going to stay at 170 pounds, but this fight makes sense.
Should Poirier and Diaz go to war in the summer months, it’s improbable that Conor McGregor will return and compete against either man.
This could leave a massive opening for the likes of Max Holloway. He is currently remaining sidelined until he can book a rematch with the victor of Volkanovski vs The Korean Zombie.
Other contenders – an impossible one to predict
Elsewhere, critics believe that Brazil’s Charles Oliveira could defend his lightweight championship to McGregor later in the year.
MMA purists won’t agree by allowing the Irishman to receive a title opportunity of back-to-back defeats.
However, you can’t deny the attention it would garner, especially when some of McGregor’s most historical moments are mixed martial arts came against a Brazilian in Jose Aldo.
Ultimately, the reputation and power of Conor McGregor will allow him to handpick an opponent. Outside of Poirier and Diaz, it isn’t easy to envision who the most financially successful MMA fighter in history would choose.
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