I guess we can file this under “tactical move.”
Former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight champion, Conor McGregor, is expected to make his mixed martial arts (MMA) return later this year in an attempt to reclaim his title from reigning division kingpin, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Not that he has much choice.
According to “The Eagle’s” manager, Ali Abdelaziz, the “Notorious” trash talker has exhausted his funds and has no choice but to make his Octagon return. After all, those Spanish mortgage payments (and pending civil suits) won’t pay for themselves.
“Conor’s running out of money, this is why he agreed to fight Khabib,” Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports. “It’s okay, we’re gonna contribute to him making some money, but at the end of the day, we owe him an ass whooping. He needs to get his ass whooped from Khabib.”
No timeline has been established for the return of either fighter, though fans shouldn’t expect anything earlier than September. McGregor has yet to finish his business with the Brooklyn judicial system while Nurmagomedov is enjoying the holidays.
If and when they do fight, not only will it pave the way for this sidelined contender, it will give us a better picture of where McGregor fits into the current lightweight hierarchy, a place he hasn’t seen since late 2016.
Fingers crossed.