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UFC president Dana White discusses what he thinks is the next best move for Conor McGregor.
The last time Conor McGregor competed at lightweight was in 2018, when he was forced to submission by Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. But even through his inactivity at 155 pounds, “The Notorious” remains at the number four spot of the UFC rankings.
After his win over Donald Cerrone in January, McGregor is said to be “happier” fighting at 170 pounds, according to his manager Audie Attar. But for UFC president Dana White, the next best option for his most prized fighter is to wait and see what happens between the Khabib Nurmagomedov-Justin Gaethje unification fight.
“The best thing for him — I’m not saying this is what’s going to happen — but in my opinion, he lets this Gaethje-Khabib fight play out and then he fights the winner,” White told Eddie Hearn and Tony Bellew on the Talk the Talk podcast (transcript by MMA Fighting). “I think that’s the smartest move for him.
“But you know him, maybe he wants to fight before that and if he does, we can figure something out. I think that’s the move for him right now.”
Gaethje won the interim title at UFC 249 last March via a fifth-round stoppage win over Tony Ferguson. White was originally planning the Khabib fight for either September or October, but given the world’s uncertainty as of the moment, a concrete schedule remains up in the air.