Conor McGregor Hints At Nate Diaz Trilogy After Mayweather Fight

Conor McGregor continues to assure fans and pundits that he’ll return to the Octagon after taking on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Due to the amount of money he’ll make fighting Mayweather, many have argued that we’ve seen the last of McGregor in the UFC, but the […]

The post Conor McGregor Hints At Nate Diaz Trilogy After Mayweather Fight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Conor McGregor continues to assure fans and pundits that he’ll return to the Octagon after taking on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match on Aug. 26 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Due to the amount of money he’ll make fighting Mayweather, many have argued that we’ve seen the last of McGregor in the UFC, but the lightweight champion appears to be dead set on continuing his MMA career.

If he does, McGregor feels as if a few options await him in the Octagon, with one being a showdown in Russia with No. 1 contender Khabib Nurmagomedov:

“It’s certainly one of the things I would like to do,” McGregor told MMAjunkie backstage at SSE Arena Wembley. “Whether it’s next, I don’t know. I don’t even know how close the Russia thing is. Whether Khabib can pull his (expletive) together; he missed weight.”

The undefeated Nurmagomedov is undoubtedly one of the best lightweights in the world, but he has had issues with his health and his weight, most recently withdrawing from a scheduled interim title fight with Tony Ferguson at UFC 209 just a day prior due to problems with his weight cut.

As far as other options go, McGregor admitted a trilogy with bitter rival Nate Diaz is still on his mind:

“There’s a few of them in the mix,” McGregor said. “A few of them need to pull their (expletive) together, though, and get interest going and get me interested. Right now I don’t actually see anything.”

“That Diaz trilogy is also on my mind,” he said.

Diaz famously submitted McGregor at UFC 196 back in March 2016 before the Irishman scored a majority decision in the rematch at UFC 202 last August. Diaz hasn’t fought since and it doesn’t appear that he plans to unless a trilogy with McGregor is on the table.

The Irishman, however, feels as if the Stockton native should be ‘thankful’:

“He should really be thankful,” McGregor said. “Before he fought me he was (getting paid) 20,000 to show and 20,000 to win. His 19th fight in the UFC, and he was on 40 grand. Now he’s a multi-millionaire. So, I don’t know why he’s sitting there so bitter. Maybe them smacks he took in that rematch messed with his head a little bit. I hope not, but I think they did.”

What do you expect McGregor to do in the future?

The post Conor McGregor Hints At Nate Diaz Trilogy After Mayweather Fight appeared first on LowKickMMA.com.

Dana White is Unsure if Khabib Nurmagomedov Can Make Lightweight Consistently

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s next move is up in the air. The No. 1 ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight was supposed to battle Tony Ferguson last night (March 4) for the interim 155-pound gold. Those plans were dashed when “The Eagle” fell ill due to weight cutting issues. He and “El Cucuy” were pulled from the […]

Khabib Nurmagomedov’s next move is up in the air. The No. 1 ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight was supposed to battle Tony Ferguson last night (March 4) for the interim 155-pound gold. Those plans were dashed when “The Eagle” fell ill due to weight cutting issues. He and “El Cucuy” were pulled from the […]

UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov?

A ton of people have been speaking their mind on the fact that the co-main event of UFC 209, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson, should be the main attraction of the show. Whether or not you agree with that point, the truth of the matter is that this fight is certainly one for the ages as both men have looked nigh invincible during their UFC tenure. What’s more, one of these men will have to experience the bitter taste of defeat as they head for a collision course that could be one of the greatest lightweight scraps in the sport’s history.

The post UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov? appeared first on Cagepotato.

A ton of people have been speaking their mind on the fact that the co-main event of UFC 209, Khabib Nurmagomedov versus Tony Ferguson, should be the main attraction of the show. Whether or not you agree with that point, the truth of the matter is that this fight is certainly one for the ages as both men have looked nigh invincible during their UFC tenure. What’s more, one of these men will have to experience the bitter taste of defeat as they head for a collision course that could be one of the greatest lightweight scraps in the sport’s history.

Khabib Nurmagomedov is an absolute savage. To neglect to mention the fact would be remiss on my part. Since entering the UFC he’s looked pretty damn impressive. He capped off his twenty-fourth straight win with a domination of Michael Johnson. What makes Khabib so dangerous? His indomitable will that sees the Dagestan native push the pace, push towards his opponents with strikes, then wrap his arms around his prey where the thrashing begins. While his striking may not be polished, Khabib has found a way to make it effective. He’ll throw a standard one-two, then instantly explode forward with a hook in order to enter into the clinch and secure a takedown by any means.

Whether it’s a judo throw, double or single leg, once Khabib is in that clinch position you either need to spin off and push away the head or find yourself with your back to the mat.

On the other side of the equation we have Tony Ferguson who brings a much more balanced skill set to the table. He has striking, he has wrestling, and great submission abilities. His gas tank seems to be endless and he pushes the pace with consistent striking combinations from lead uppercuts to sharp low leg kicks. Ferguson also enjoys switching stances in the middle of combo strings to find the inside and outside angles in hopes exploiting openings. He’ll throw a cross from orthodox stance, switch to south paw where he’ll through a rear uppercut, back to orthodox for a rear leg kick to a spinning back fist. His striking is at once technical and chaotic and always packs a punch. But his he’s more controlled than his foe in that he uses fundamentals.

His jab is sharp and long and he uses it as a legit weapon as well as a range finder which adds variety to his striking arsenal. Ferguson will do well to keep Khabib on the end of his punches and if the Sambo specialist does try to shoot for the takedown, a traditional needs to be at the ready and if he can’t manage that, his nifty forward roll needs to be on hand to create a scramble.

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I’ve always said that Ferguson would be a tougher match up for Conor McGregor if the legit lightweight champ ever decides to come back and defend his title. That’s not to say that Khabib wouldn’t give McGregor trouble, but the pace that Ferguson can put on people, coupled with his size, striking, chin, and submission game, makes him a terrible match up for the lightweight champ. That’s not to say Khabib can’t grind McGregor into the cage, land a takedown and smash him on the ground. Either way, we still have to see Ferguson and Khabib do the damn thing at UFC 209. I’ll be sure to watching with a whiskey in hand and a smile plastered across my face.

Who do you think wins the interim lightweight title: Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson?


Jonathan Salmon is a writer, martial arts instructor, and geek culture enthusiast. Check out his Twitter and Facebook to keep up with his antics.

The post UFC 209: Can Tony Ferguson Figure Out The Puzzle That Is Khabib Nurmagomedov? appeared first on Cagepotato.