Former two-division champion Conor McGregor hasn’t fought in the UFC in nearly three years, but if analysts, commentators and some fighters have his way, he could still fight for the title.
The last battle of the Irish vs Dustin PoirierIt ended with. mcgregor angry It seems like light years ago that I broke my leg. McGregor said the feud wasn’t over after their fight in July 2021, but he claimed it had been going on for at least a few years.
Since his injury, the fighter has experienced political controversy over Irish immigration policy, which has led to him potentially running for president. At the same time, he also starred in the MMA-fueled remake.road house“In the case of Amazon.
Even in the mid-2022 edition, “ultimate fighter“I didn’t think McGregor would come back. He was finally scheduled to fight Michael Chandler in the main event.” UFC 303 It’s been almost three years since the iconic postgame sit-in in Las Vegas. Joe Rogan interview.
But in the months leading up to the fight, fans, fighters and analysts have been looking for a way for the UFC to make McGregor’s return more meaningful by making it a title fight.
With numerous sources citing inside information on the subject, the immortal specter of the 165-pound weight class has never been closer to home.
“A lot of times it’s about being in the right place at the right time,” said UFC commentator and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier. “I think if you’re going to do a 165-pound weight class, you need to name it big enough to get people’s attention.”
“Conor McGregor is the name. Michael Chandler, on the other hand, will benefit from being in the right place at the right time,” Cormier said on ESPN’s show.good person/bad person“Podcast.
“Then they’ll be fighting for the ‘super lightweight’ championship, which I believe is only 10 pounds heavier than 155. They’ll move from 170 to 175, and from 185 to Move to 195, stay at 205, stay at heavyweight,” Cormier added.
This comment comes a few months after the UFC lightweight Rafael Fiziev He said it’s not just a rumor that the company is launching a 165-pound division. That’s confirmed.
“This is not a rumor. As far as I know, this is already certain,” Fiziyev said in Russian, according to the report. BJPenn.com. “I’ve already heard this is true…I heard they identified something there. Yes.”
Critics point to long-held assumptions about what the new department will look like. Introduced at UFC 300which of course didn’t materialize, but that didn’t stop the constant speculation.
Former UFC referee John McCarthy claims he spoke to UFC employees and was told there are no plans to introduce a new division at this time, two months after Fiziev claimed “for sure” did.
“I recently had a conversation with someone who is a well-known employee of the UFC, etc. I have no idea if this is a title fight or not, but it’s definitely a possibility,” McCarthy teased.Weighing in progressJosh Thomson Podcast.
2 months ago mccarthy Said he was a matchmaker for the UFC They were opposed to creating new classes because they felt it would water down the ranks.
when Question from Ariel Helwani However, Chandler did not introduce a new weight class for this match. Rather, he explained that the 170-pound and 185-pound weight classes are the main subjects of discussion for this fight, saying 170 pounds sounds just right and allows both fighters to stay disciplined.
“I think 170 is perfect. 170 is enough to keep both of us disciplined enough through training camp, but that’s going to be a little bit limiting,” Chandler said.
professional fighter TJ Laramie Agreed that there should be more weight classes in the UFC and MMA in general. “Every 10 pounds makes more sense.”
“A matchup between McGregor and Chandler would have been a good opportunity to succeed in a big fight. I think the reason the UFC is holding back on it is because they don’t have enough room to do more fights this year.” ” Laramie told Blaze News.
However, analyst and former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen disagrees that Chandler and McGregor are qualified for the job, saying the two are too unreliable to carry the new division. said.
“The 165-pound belt isn’t coming,” he quickly responded. Said. “The history of the UFC and the psychology of Dana White says, ‘I’m not going to give anyone a chance to win a world title over a loss, let alone a chance to win multiple titles. ”Dana’s History White’s Psychology said, “I would not give anyone a world title opportunity, even the No. 1 contender, if I had reason to believe they would not come back and defend.” That’s what I’m saying. He’s still mad that Georges St-Pierre relinquished the belt after defeating Michael Bisping, which was in 2017. Of course I’m saying, because they’re not the right players. ”
Cormier connected those comments to his career.
“Going back to my story, they weren’t going to give me the opportunity for my first championship. But when Alexander Gustafsson got injured, I filled in and after that I was out of the title picture. They could call me at any time and say, “Hey, do you want to fight this guy for the belt?” ”
Referee McCarthy indirectly disagreed with Sonnen’s opinion, saying the details of whether Chandler or McGregor deserved to be the new division champion were not important.
“It’s okay to see it as a fight between Chandler and Conor, and it makes sense because they’re doing better because Conor is the champion. To be honest, they’re doing better. So this is… It’s a business. So why not put it nicely? You know, we don’t have that hierarchy right now,” McCarthy added.
UFC 303 will be broadcast on pay-per-view from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on June 29, 2024.
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