Conor McGregor still has some things to settle with the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) before he can return to the Octagon.
However, once those issues do get settled, it will be interesting to see who McGregor is matched up with for his Octagon return. This past October, McGregor was defeated in his first fight back in the UFC in nearly two years. The Irishman was submitted by Khabib Nurmagomedov in the fourth round of their UFC 229 main event match-up.
McGregor failed to recapture the lightweight title from the Russian. McGregor has stated that he’d like an immediate rematch with “The Eagle.” However, given how lopsided that contest was, a rematch doesn’t make much sense at this point. Especially with perennial contenders such as Tony Ferguson waiting for their opportunities. With that being said, McGregor said he’s more than willing to face the next man in line before rematching Khabib.
Longtime UFC commentator Joe Rogan recently took to his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience” to offer his thoughts on who McGregor should fight next. Rogan said a “massive” fight waiting for the former “Champ Champ” would be his trilogy fight with Nate Diaz (via SportsJoe.ie):
“That’s the big money fight. If I was a promoter, I’d be calling Nate and saying, ‘What do we have to do?’… Give him what he wants. Give him a lot of money! It’s not just a good fight. It’s a gigantic, fan-friendly event.”
McGregor and Diaz first fought back in Match of 2016. Diaz became the first man to defeat McGregor in the UFC, submitting the SBG Ireland product in the second round via rear-naked choke. Five months later, the pair rematched in a massive UFC 202 main event in Las Vegas. McGregor picked up the win via unanimous decision. Now, a third and final trilogy bout between the pair is expected at some point.
Rogan also gave his approval for McGregor to throw down in his rumored bout against Donald Cerrone:
“That’s a fight that I would make. I would make that fight. That’s a f**king exciting fight and that’s also a big sell. You could sell the shit out of that. That’s a big fight. But Cowboy has not been fighting at that weight – 155. He has done the majority of his fights at 170 – Till, Masvidal, Perry, Leon Edwards… but we could still make 155. He’s not a big 170.”
After Diaz gave McGregor his rematch following his loss, McGregor has remained adamant he’d return the favor. Only time will tell if that will happen.
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