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It appears that the UFC is looking at a summer return for Conor McGregor, with a formidable opponent potentially lined up.
It’s nowhere near a done deal at this point, but Conor McGregor could step back into the Octagon in the summer. According to a report from ESPN’s MMA Show, the UFC is looking at a bout between Conor and bruiser Justin Gaethje, something Gaethje has been trying to get for a long time now:
Ariel Helwani says a summer time fight between McGregor vs. Gaethje is the current front runner. Things could change, talks very preliminary at this point.#HelwaniShow
— Jed I. Goodman (@jedigoodman) February 24, 2020
McGregor (22-4, 10-2 UFC) is coming off a quick win over Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 last month. It was his first time in the Octagon since a UFC 229 loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Gaethje (21-2, 4-2 UFC) also defeated Cerrone in his last outing, stopping him in the first round of their September bout. He rebounded from two straight losses with three knockout wins, and is currently sitting at number five in the UFC lightweight rankings – one spot below McGregor.
It’s unclear exactly when the fight could go down, though their annual July card with the fan expo seems like the most logical place for it. Again, this isn’t a confirmed plan right now – in fact, it’s more of a rumor at this point – but it would be a very good fight for the fans.