5 reasons why the UFC should book Khabib vs Tony Ferguson next

#3 A McGregor rematch could do more harm than good

Another loss to Khabib could harm McGregor's aura for good

Okay, so the likelihood of another post-fight brawl like we saw at UFC 229 has to be pretty slim following the disgust levelled at all parties involved, but putting that aside for a second, giving Conor McGregor an instant rematch with Khabib could actually do more harm than good – for McGregor in particular.

While the Irishman’s reputation as a major drawing card has in part been built by his quick wit and trash talking skills, a lot of his success comes down to the fact that in his early UFC career at least, he built an aura of invincibility like few other fighters possessed.

Essentially, McGregor always backed up the talk – whether that was by sparking Jose Aldo out in seconds, or defeating Eddie Alvarez to claim his second UFC title – and while he did lose to Nate Diaz and then to Floyd Mayweather, he defeated Diaz in a rematch and was never expected to beat Mayweather anyway.

But would anyone really give him a chance in a rematch against Khabib? I don’t think so. Nothing McGregor did on Saturday suggested he could ever defeat ‘The Eagle’, and the loss itself was pretty humiliating anyway. Another loss to Khabib could be a nail in McGregor’s coffin in terms of his aura – and that could damage him as a drawing card.

The UFC would in fact be better off trying to match McGregor in so-called ‘money fights’ – with someone like Georges St-Pierre or Anderson Silva, or perhaps the trilogy match with Diaz – and hope he wins at least one to rehabilitate his fighting image. Maybe then he’d be ready for another fight with Khabib.

And if Conor isn’t going to fight Khabib – it’s just not logical – then the only man that makes sense as an opponent is Ferguson.