Post UFC 229: 5 Conor McGregor Fights That Have To Happen
UFC 229 is in the books and the headline attraction of Conor McGregor versus Khabib Nurmagomedov has thrilled and shocked the world in equal measure.
Khabib's terrific submission victory was savoured by MMA purists whereas his post-fight antics has stunned everybody, fans or not.
Lost in all the frenzied chaos of the post-fight brawl that ensued after Khabib's victory was the fact that the Irishman's return to the Octagon was an unhappy one.
McGregor displayed considerable ring rust and a distinct lack of pace in his performance and quite frankly looked a shadow of the performer that last graced the Octagon in 2016.
It's perfectly possible of course that McGregor was made to look so ordinary by the sheer masterclass of a performance by Khabib which ensured "Notorious" could not keep a vertical base long enough to inflict his signature strikes.
However, McGregor will be back. He is far from done in UFC and he will be back in the Octagon keen to return to the winning trail.
There are some distinct possibilities and dream match-ups that McGregor could conceivably compete in within the next 12-18 months inside the Octagon.
This slideshow counts down five of the most enticing fights available to McGregor.
#5 BJ Penn
UFC Hall of Famer, BJ Penn is set to make another return to the Octagon at UFC 232 on December 29, 2018.
Penn's last three bouts have all been contested as a Featherweight; the division in which Conor McGregor made his name and is a former titleholder.
Penn vs McGregor on paper is a mega box office attraction which should yield a considerable buy-rate.
However, the one drawback with that fight is the fact that Penn in 2018 is a shadow of the performer that made him a legend, having lost all of his most recent five fights.
Penn has not won an MMA fight since November 2010 and would likely be over-matched by the younger McGregor.
However, should Penn make his comeback a successful one, with a victory versus his December opponent, Ryan Hall, then a McGregor fight would have very real mainstream appeal and could be a fascinating encounter.