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We still don’t know what’s going to happen with the UFC’s lightweight division and probably won’t for at least a few more months.
Current divisional champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is scheduled to unify his belt with interim titleholder Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 this September. That matchup will certainly produce some clarity at 155 pounds but not entirely. With top draws like Conor McGregor, Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, Donald Cerrone, and even Georges St-Pierre hanging around, the options at lightweight are difficult to wade through.
It’s a nice problem to have but one that comes with a lot of uncertainty. Just ask UFC president and ultimate matchmaker Dana White.
“It’s a very interesting division because you have Khabib, you have Tony Ferguson, Conor McGregor, Donald Cerrone’s in the mix, Justin Gaethje – there’s just so many unbelievable fights in that weight class and Khabib keeps talking about fighting Georges St. Pierre again,” White told Rich Eisen earlier this week. “St-Pierre retired but when St-Pierre retired, he retired basically saying I won’t if I can fight Khabib. So there’s so many different, crazy, interesting things that we can do at that weight class.”
One of the most intriguing and likely scenarios at 155 pounds would be a rematch between Khabib and McGregor. Remember, the undefeated Russian submitted “Notorious” last October in the biggest fight in UFC history. While many people don’t believe McGregor should get a rematch with “Eagle” before winning another fight inside of the Octagon, White believes it’s still a viable option moving forward.
“It would be a massive fight and it’s absolutely possible, yes,” White said. “I think McGregor is gonna come back at the beginning of next year. So, realistically, all these guys are looking at September to see what happens with Khabib and Poirier. After that fight plays out, I think there’s gonna be a lot of movement going on.”
While McGregor has hinted at retirement more than once this year, he still remains active in training and staying in shape for a fight. That is a big reason why White would entertain him getting another crack at Khabib right away.
“To Conor’s credit and defense, you don’t see Conor running around filming movies,” White said. “If you look at his – he’s in great shape, he’s staying in shape, he’s training, and he’s seeing how this thing plays out.”
McGregor staying in shape is all well and good, but White would be booking the rematch with Khabib in order to reap the financial benefits of an all-time great matchup. Can you blame him?
“Any time there’s too much money involved, Rich, bet on it happening,” concluded White.