"No mess" - Conor McGregor hints at move to middleweight in the wake of Sean Strickland's title win
Conor McGregor teased a move to the middleweight division after seeing Sean Strickland dethrone Israel Adesanya.
On Saturday night, Sept. 9, Strickland shocked the world by defeating Adesanya for the middleweight title. The result of the UFC 293 main event changed the trajectory of the 185-pound division, which could be adding another massive superstar into the mix.
Shortly after Strickland’s historic win, McGregor had this to say on Twitter when reacting to a post-fight interview from the new middleweight king:
“I give him less than a month he trading that motor in hahaha”
The comment section was filled with various responses, including one fan saying:
“Conor move up to 185 this is ur chance”
‘The Notorious’ shook things up by responding with the following message:
“No mess, I’d fancy it.”
McGregor last fought in July 2021, losing against Dustin Poirier due to a severe leg injury. After an extended recovery process, the former two-division UFC champion is preparing to return later this year or early 2024.
‘The Notorious’ is expected to fight Michael Chandler in his highly-anticipated Octagon return after coaching against him on The Ultimate Fighter Season 31. The question is, what weight class will they fight at? One fan asked McGregor on Twitter:
“Next fight 170lbs ?”
Conor McGregor’s social media messages should be taken with a grain of salt, as he tends to stir the pot to keep people on their toes. With that said, ‘The Notorious’ doubled down on his interest in fighting at middleweight by saying this in response to the fan above:
“185”
Conor McGregor praises the UFC after Sean Strickland defeated Israel Adesanya
Sean Strickland’s win at UFC 293 reminded every MMA fan that anything can happen in the Octagon. Conor McGregor acknowledged the unpredictability of UFC fights by saying this on Twitter following Strickland becoming the new middleweight king:
“The “spar only” method crowns the new ufc middleweight world champion. Well done Sean. Unlucky Izzy. Two quality operators as well as complete opposite characters facing off, where else would you get it. Incredible! What a sport. What a company! @ufc is King.”
It’s safe to say not many people predicted Strickland would defeat Israel Adesanya. Therefore, the UFC must decide what’s next for the division, which could be an immediate rematch for Adesanya. As a result, Dricus Du Plessis, who was expected to be next in line, might have to wait and pick up another win.