An interim title bout between Cerrone and McGregor would mean they’d leapfrog Ferguson and Poirier.
Both Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone have been interested in facing off against each other, and with the Irishman’s suspension only lasting until April, it could be booked soon after.
Dana White has stated that he wants to see that bout happen as “Cowboy” has “earned” that high profile contest. If Cerrone is to be believed though, seems like the UFC thinks both men deserve much more than that too.
“Good News @thenotoriousmma looks like we get to fight for 155 Interim Title,” Cerrone wrote on Instagram. “(USA) vs (Ireland) @properwhiskey vs @budweiser.”
Current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov was suspended nine months after his involvement in the UFC 229 brawl, and will be eligible to compete by July 6th. He believed the UFC would put an interim belt on the line during his absence, but he did think it would be between two more deserving contenders.
If Cerrone is right, then they’d essentially be in a number one contender’s match up with the right to face Khabib next. They would also be leapfrogging former interim title holder Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier, who are both currently in very impressive streaks.
Cerrone has earned a big match up after two straight performance bonuses, but it’s hard to justify a title bout seeing that he only has one lightweight bout in years and is only 3-4 in his last seven contests. McGregor, on the other hand, is 2-2 in his last four bouts, and hasn’t had a win since 2016.
That being said, it’s not like interim belts have much meaning these days, as it seems they are given and stripped almost at random. Look no further than Ferguson and Covington, who both got their interim titles removed before getting a shot at the real belt.