Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports
Dan Hardy sees other viable opponents for Conor McGregor’s next bout, except for Khabib Nurmagomedov.
During a late-August interview with ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, Conor McGregor mentioned the fights he intends to take for his UFC return. One of them is a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov, whom he lost to at UFC 229 in October.
With how “The Notorious” got bested and lost via submission, observers see no point in making the fight happen. For former UFC welterweight title contender Dan Hardy, that is the only fight for McGregor that doesn’t make sense.
“The only fight that doesn’t make sense for [Conor] is Khabib.” – @danhardymma on what’s next for Conor McGregor w/@RJcliffordMMA & @lionheartasmith ?
?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? pic.twitter.com/DhNWgFkmT5— MMA on SiriusXM (@MMAonSiriusXM) October 9, 2019
“There are other fights that make sense for Conor. I think the only fight that doesn’t make sense for him is Khabib,” Dan Hardy said recently on MMA on SiriusXM (via BJPenn.com). “That is the only one that doesn’t make sense. He needs to have another fight before he gets a shot at Khabib. Or, he just completely invalidates all of the other people in that division that is putting good win streaks together.
“The Outlaw” feels there are other more deserving fighters to challenge Khabib, like Tony Ferguson and Justin Gaethje.
“Tony Ferguson’s got to get the next fight, after that, Justin Gaethje is in line. I think Dustin Poirier would be a good person for him to fight. Justin Gaethje’s not only a risky fight for Conor McGregor but Justin Gaethje doesn’t need to fight Conor McGregor to get a title shot. I think he has done his work.”
McGregor is also being matched up against former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar. It is a fight that his coach John Kavanagh wants to happen before the year ends.