Chael Sonnen thinks Conor McGregor could be given title shot after Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier dismiss fight against the Irishman
Chael Sonnen has pointed out a dilemma as to who Conor McGregor could fight in his eventual return to the octagon.
Sonnen said that as much as he wouldn't want to see McGregor fight for the title at this stage, that may be the only option for him. This comes after Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz – McGregor's biggest rivals – both indicated that they're moving on from their feuds with the former champ-champ.
With that in mind, 'The American Gangster' thinks the only sensible matchup for the Irishman will be either against Charles Oliveira or Justin Gaethje – the two men who will be fighting for the UFC lightweight title at UFC 274 in May.
During an episode of his YouTube show, Sonnen stated:
"Poirier and Diaz have both dismissed Conor. That is nothing more than negotiating. I understand it, I don't think you have to correct me, but it's the first time ever anybody has dismissed Conor and, in this case, it's Conor's greatest rivals and they both teamed up and they both said no. No to him and yes to each other. ... If you take Dustin and you take Nate and you move them aside as it pertains to Conor, you're left going, 'What do we do?' Now I think I would like to see Conor fight for the belt the most. Now I think that that does make the most sense."
Check out Chael Sonnen's comments on Conor McGregor's next fight below:
Sonnen also said that while there are many top contenders in the lightweight division to possibly choose from, McGregor is too big of a draw to fight someone who's other than a "top guy."
McGregor has now spent seven months on the sidelines recovering from the freak injury he sustained at UFC 264. 'The Notorious' is expected to make his comeback sometime this year.
Chael Sonnen explains why Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier 4 doesn't make sense
Last July's trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier ended in an anti-climactic fashion after the Irishman broke his leg and was unable to continue. The record books will show Poirier is up 2-1 against McGregor, but fans were denied a decisive conclusion to the rivalry.
That being the case, Chael Sonnen is not too keen on seeing the duo fight for a fourth time. While Sonnen believes the fight could generate solid box office numbers, he argued:
"Poirier versus Conor works, I understand that but part four is a little weird particularly when two and three didn't have a single round won by Conor. It was very uncompetitive and Conor being out and Conor being hurt and Conor's got to give us a little more info too."
Watch the video below: