5 logical fights for Conor McGregor when he makes his UFC return
Conor McGregor has been medically suspended for the rest of 2021. The suspension is a consequence of the broken tibia he suffered during his UFC 264 trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier.
A hobbled McGregor vowed that “this isn’t over” during his post-fight interview with Joe Rogan. Needless to say, McGregor is already back in the gym, though he will of course be skipping leg day for a while.
Despite his astonishing $120 million net worth and recent spate of misfortune in the octagon, McGregor has no plans of retiring. Come 2022, it’ll simply be a matter of time before we see the Irishman stage an attempt at a comeback.
While many expect a Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier IV clash, it’s debatable whether or not that’ll be his first fight back. Should ‘The Diamond’ defeat Charles Oliveira for the UFC lightweight title, McGregor’s chances at facing Poirier first will go severely downhill.
Even if ‘do Bronx’ beats Poirier, he is now considerably higher than McGregor in the lightweight rankings. Perhaps a change of pace is best. When it comes to fighting, a star like McGregor is typically looking for two main things: money and championship gold.
Considering his health, he may also be looking for some lower down on the totem pole fighters as well. With that in mind, here are five fighters who fit at least two of these three requirements for when ‘The Notorious’ returns.
#5. Conor McGregor vs. Jeremy Stephens
“Who the f—- is that guy?”
In 2021, Conor McGregor’s harsh words regarding Jeremy Stephens at the UFC 205 press conference remain a meme. Stephens' doomed crack at challenging ‘The Notorious’ led to one of the Irishman’s quickest and sharpest putdowns.
Stephens’ record has taken some hits in the years since. It’s something he has in common with McGregor who, despite his superstar status, has won just one fight since his UFC 205 victory over Eddie Alvarez in 2016. Another thing they have in common is that they have moved between the featherweight and lightweight divisions over the years.
When McGregor comes back, it’ll likely be on shaky ground. As the trials and tribulations of Anderson Silva following his own leg break revealed, it’s hard to regain confident footing. Perhaps an opponent slightly beneath McGregor’s level is the best course of action in 2022.
The promotion for the fight would no doubt be effective. Between McGregor’s audacious trash talk and Stephens’ own heavy duty attitude, there’d be plenty of entertainment value in the lead-up.
In the octagon, at lightweight, perhaps McGregor can get another win to his name (he’s won just once at lightweight) and move on to bigger things again. For Stephens, this would be one hell of a payday win, lose or draw.