Conor McGregor on his UFC return, expecting a boxing match in the near future
It's 'fight season' again for Conor McGregor and it's been four years since he had an active year. He didn't fight in 2017, fought once in 2018, and was absent in 2019 before returning for the first PPV of 2020.
His return saw him face Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone - knocking him out in 46 seconds to make an emphatic statement. While he's currently waiting to see what happens to UFC 249 and the fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson, there is a possibility that he fights Justin Gaethje.
Justin 'The Highlight' Gaethje believes he's next in line for a title shot after racking up three first-round knockouts over James Vick, Edson Barboza, and Donald Cerrone. If McGregor were to defeat Gaethje, there's no doubt that he would be next in line for a Lightweight title shot.
Conor McGregor spoke to Bleacher Report and stated that he will be in the Octagon soon and fully expects to box again:
"The money is not why I do this. I am a very rich man, and my children and those that come after them will be just fine. I love the fight game. I learned many things boxing in Crumlin where I grew up, and my deep love is why I do this today. I will be in the Octagon again soon and fully expect to box again. You will need to stay tuned, but trust me—the fans will enjoy. Giving them what they want and entertaining them is important to me."
There will be a lot of money in anything that McGregor does. Dana White hasn't hidden his intention of booking a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov - the first encounter of which was the highest-selling UFC PPV of all time and the biggest-money event in MMA history.
Justin Gaethje predicted that he's going to wait and see who wins at UFC 249 (if it happens). He said that if Tony Ferguson wins, McGregor will get an immediate title shot and if Nurmagomedov wins, then the Irishman will have to face Gaethje first.
Either way, MMA is a lot better with Conor McGregor in it and it's going to be exciting to see what a motivated McGregor can achieve in the next phase of his UFC career.