Conor McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez in impressive fashion at UFC 205, but it appears he won’t be back in the Octagon anytime soon.
Speaking to the Los Angeles Times‘ Lance Pugmire, UFC President Dana White confirmed McGregor won’t fight again for at least another six months.
“He won’t fight before May,” he said. “His girl [Dee Devlin] gets super stressed out when he fights. He doesn’t want her having any of that stress while she’s pregnant. He’s good. He should take time off. He’s been fighting nonstop. Nothing wrong with him taking time off. It’s good for him and her, and it’s good for the baby.”
During his post-fight press conference following a second-round knockout of Alvarez, McGregor confirmed fighting would temporarily take a backseat to his personal life since he is preparing to become a father.
“Have this baby, take a little bit of time and see what way I feel after that,” McGregor said of discussions about his future with UFC owners WME-IMG, per ESPN.com news services. “They’ve got to come talk to me now. No one has come talk to me since the sale [in July] happened—as a businessman.”
McGregor‘s next opponent has yet to be circled, but he continued to fuel speculation that he could eventually fight Floyd Mayweather Jr.
In a video released by TMZ Sports, McGregor vowed he would step in a ring against Mayweather if he was paid a substantial sum.
“He wants a boxing match, he doesn’t want a fight,” he said. “I want a $100 million cash to fight him under boxing rules…he’s afraid of a real fight.”
As for potential UFC opponents, several contenders have been circled as The Notorious gets ready for an extended layoff.
According to Odds Shark, Nate Diaz is a +175 (bet $100 to win $175) favorite to face McGregor next, while Tyron Woodley sits at +300. Lightweight stud Khabib Nurmagomedov occupies the No. 3 spot at +400, and his striking coach has already started to engage in some smack talk regarding the Irishman’s thoughts on a title bout.
“Yes, 100 percent, he is ducking Khabib,” Javier Mendez told ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto. “I know that from the words he is saying. ‘He doesn’t fight enough for my taste’? Give me a break.”
A third McGregor fight against Diaz could serve as a bigger draw after they split the first two bouts, but a meeting against the undefeated Russian with a belt on the line would be MMA‘s theater of the highest order.
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