At first I thought Conor McGregor and his coach were just trolling. Now, I’m not so sure.
The reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight champion is expected to challenge Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight strap at the upcoming UFC 196 pay-per-view (PPV) event next month in Las Vegas, Nevada. Smashing the Brazilian would make him the promotion’s first active champion in two separate weight classes.
Difficult, but not impossible.
But instead of going back down to 145 pounds to settle his score with Frankie Edgar — or Jose Aldo, depending on who you ask — “Notorious” could keep on trucking, right up to the welterweight division to try for a third straight belt at the biggest UFC event of the year.
A move coach John Kavanagh told The 42 (via Middle Easy) will come with his full support.
Speaking of welterweights, I’ve seen that rumors of Conor fighting Robbie Lawler for the 170-pound belt at UFC 200 on July 9 have been gathering momentum. It’s not something we have discussed specifically but after Conor wins the lightweight belt, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the next fight is for the welterweight belt. If that’s what Conor wants to do, I’ll absolutely support that move. I think that would be fantastic. We’re already talking about making history in a few weeks, but can you imagine what it will be like if Conor is the champion in three weight classes by the summer?
Must be that new steak diet.
Naturally, we shouldn’t put the featherweight cart before the lightweight horse. There is, after all, a very simple way to defeat McGregor (according to this contender) and Dos Anjos has been chewing up top strikers and spitting them out over the past two years.
But hey, if we’re going to talk crazy, let’s talk really crazy.
McGregor wins the lightweight title at UFC 196, then moves on to knockout Robbie Lawler at UFC 200 — using a punch similar to the one that landed for Nick Diaz — which in turn prompts Georges St. Pierre to end his self-imposed retirement and come back for the biggest super fight of all time.
Ahem, Mr. Osbourne, if you would please: