How many big fights does Conor McGregor have left?
The former two-division champion is likely to remain a big draw for the promotion but there may be no more records to break after Dustin Poirier sent McGregor to the loss column for the second time in his last three fights, leaving “Notorious” 1-2 at 155 pounds.
That means UFC President Dana White has to figure out how to keep pumping milk from his pay-per-view (PPV) cash cow, which is why a Poirier rematch may be more appealing than a potential showdown against No. 4-ranked Michael Chandler.
That’s according to UFC color commentator Joe Rogan.
“The purist option is Charles Oliveira,” Rogan said about Poirier’s next fight. “If you’re a purist you want that fight. If you want to make a shitload of money before Conor fights someone else, you have the (Poirier) rematch. Here’s the thing, if Conor fights Michael Chandler next, which is a possibility, if Dustin fights Charles Oliveira and Conor fights Michael Chandler, what are the odds that Conor beats Michael Chandler? I think Michael Chandler is a favorite in that fight, which is very dangerous for your money.”
Add that to the list of things McGregor hates about Rogan.
Poirier has agreed to a McGregor rematch but only if the lightweight title is up for grabs. How soon the division strap becomes available depends largely on White’s urgency to vacate the belt, currently held by undefeated champion Khabib Nurmagomedov.
“The Eagle” retired last October with a win over Justin Gaethje.
Since UFC took place back on Jan. 23 in Abu Dhabi, we probably won’t see the lightweight wheels turning for another few weeks. It’s not unreasonable to think McGregor will take time off (he can afford it) while Poirier battles Oliveira for all the marbles.
Which puts Michael Chandler against … Justin Gaethje?