Who knows when Conor McGregor (21-3) will enter the UFC’s Octagon again, whether it will be at the end of 2017 or some time in 2018. However, that has not stopped speculation of who McGregor will fight next, and a third bout against Nate Diaz (19-11) seems to make the most sense.
The pair split two previous meetings last year, and McGregor is listed as a -250 favorite (bet $250 to win $100) in a potential trilogy fight while Diaz is a +190 underdog (bet $100 to win $190) at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.
In the latest matchup at UFC 202 last August 20 in Las Vegas, Nevada, McGregor earned a majority decision in one of the most exciting bouts the organization has ever seen. McGregor had lost the first meeting with Diaz via second-round rear-naked choke submission a little more than five months earlier at UFC 196 in his welterweight debut.
Both previous bouts took place at 170 pounds, and since then McGregor won the UFC lightweight title with a second-round TKO of former champion Eddie Alvarez before getting knocked out himself by Floyd Mayweather in his professional boxing debut on August 26.
There is no timetable for McGregor‘s return, as he made more money fighting Mayweather than he did in his entire MMA career going into that bout.
While other high-profile opponents like Georges St-Pierre and Khabib Nurmagomedov could be next for McGregor, they also have work to do in order for that to happen.
St-Pierre is fighting middleweight champ Michael Bisping at UFC 217 on November 4 after sitting out for nearly four years. Nurmagomedov missed an opportunity to fight for the interim lightweight title at UFC 209 back on March 4 because he suffered complications trying to make weight. Instead, his opponent that night Tony Ferguson will take on Kevin Lee at UFC 216 this Saturday for the 155-pound championship.
Ferguson, Lee or current featherweight champ Max Holloway are other possibilities if McGregor wants to get either of the belts back that he previously earned, becoming the first UFC fighter ever to hold two at the same time. Regardless, the brash Irishman is in a great position as the biggest name in MMA and will be able to fight whoever he wants.
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com