Everyone wants a piece of the Conor McGregor pie. Yes, even Joaquin Buckley.
Summer is set to host a hot stretch of mixed martial arts (MMA) action this year. Amongst all the great match ups on tap is the long-awaited return of “The Notorious” McGregor who hasn’t fought since July 2021.
McGregor, 35, will be welcomed back to the Octagon at UFC 303 by former three-time Bellator Lightweight champion, Michael Chandler, in a Welterweight affair. Despite currently riding a two-fight losing streak, a win accompanied by McGregor’s name value can always warrant a title shot in the eyes of UFC CEO, Dana White, and that’s exactly what the Irishman hopes for. Whether it’s against the 170-pound champion, Leon Edwards, or for the Baddest Motherf—ker (BMF) title, the former Featherweight and Lightweight titleholder wants more gold.
“Leon Edwards, Nate Diaz almost knocked him out,” McGregor said in a Duelbits live stream. “Had him out on his feet. If that fight kept going on, Leon’s unconscious. Also, [Donald] Cerrone went the distance with him.
“I’m looking at all these belts,” he continued. “The Lightweight world title, although I’ve held that. How excited would I be to cut that weight again after winning it already? I already held the belt. I’d be excited about the bad motherf—ker title and I’d be excited about the Welterweight title, but you know, we’ll see what happens. I take things as they come. There should be a McGregor belt, a money belt, or something. All of these things were created off the back of me.”
Edwards, 32, is all for the thought of a McGregor fight. He’ll defend his title in a rematch against Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 one month after McGregor’s fight (July 27, 2024). Should they both get the job done in their respective bouts, a clash at Madison Square Garden in New York City later in the year sounds perfect to “Rocky.”
“That would be good,” Edwards said of a McGregor fight on The MMA Hour. “Yeah, 100 percent, why not? I feel like let’s give him an opportunity to become a three-division world champion. It gives me an opportunity to take out a guy like Conor McGregor. New York, that would be perfect. That’s the fight. He’s got to take out Michael, I take out ‘You Don’t Remember His Name,’ and we’ll go from there (laughs). Let’s go. That’s the fight. It should happen.”