On the 26th August last year Conor McGregor fought the undefeated Floyd Mayweather in the super fight of the year. The odds were heavily tipped in the favour of “Money” Mayweather with Paddy Power even paying out on Floyd before the fight began. The fight did however last for 10 rounds, more than the experts predicated, but Floyd ended it in the 10th round winning by TKO.
It’s been just 6 months since the super fight and Conor is expected to announce who he will fight next within the coming months, the big question on every one’s mind though is will he return to UFC and defend his Lightweight title or stay in boxing. If he was to return to the Octagon in the near future, who could he end up fighting?
Khabib Nurmagomedov
The Eagle boasts an impressive 25-0-0 record and was due to fight the current interim champion Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 last year but unfortunately for the fans Khabib was admitted to hospital just before the weigh in due to ‘weight management medical issues’ and the fight had to be cancelled as per the doctor’s recommendation. This was a big knock for the Russian as beating Ferguson would made him the number 1 contender and would entitle him to fight Conor if he ever returned to the UFC for the undisputed Lightweight champion. As Khabib just beat Barboaza at UFC 219 he has earner another shot at Ferguson which is Scheduled for the7th April 2018.
Tony Ferguson
With Conor stepping into boxing and then taking time off Tony Ferguson has stepped up as Interim champion and is potentially considered as the Conor’s most threatening opponent. The American is unbeaten in his last 10 fights beating some of the best fighters in the division. Ferguson has called out Conor on social media and claimed that if he returns to defend it he should be first in line, and there’s no denying that it’s a fight we would all want to see. First however Ferguson must beat Khabib at UFC 223 before he can start thinking about Conor, the winner of this fight will surely fight McGregor if he were to return.
Nate Diaz
Conor and Nate have taken part in two of the most unforgettable and arguably biggest fights in UFC history. The first was fight was the main event of UFC 196 but was never originally meant to be as lightweight champion at the time Rafael dos Anjos dropped out last minute and Diaz took the fight with just 11 days’ notice. Needless to say what a fight it was with heavy underdog Diaz winning in the 2 round after managing to Submit Conor with the rear naked choke. Needless to say a rematch was on the cards and it came at UFC 202 the fight went a brutal 5 rounds with Conor winning via a Majority decision. A third decider fight would be highly anticipated and certainly a fan favourite but unfortunately Diaz is demanding ridiculous money for him to step into the octagon again so there is very little chance that this fight could be happening anytime soon.
Needless to say I think we all hope Conor returns to the octagon to defend his lightweight title however he wouldn’t make a fraction of what he could if he stays in boxing so it will be interesting to see what decision he makes in the coming months. If you’re into UFC then check out Team FA for regular previews, news and betting tips on all upcoming MMA events.
