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Kamaru Usman vs Jorge Masvidal could be the direction that we see in the second quarter of 2020. While Masvidal has been actively seeking a Conor McGregor fight, it didn't appear as though that could be what's next for The Irishman following UFC 246.
This is probably because Dana White has emphasized wanting to book Conor McGregor in a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov, and Jorge Masvidal in a title fight against Kamaru Usman. The Nigerian Nightmare tweeted out slamming Jorge Masvidal for avoiding a fight with him to prevent losing. The tweet said:
For all you real fans out there that know what’s up @GamebredFighter is doing everything possible to avoid taking this L @danawhite has spoken so STFU and take this a** whooping like the journeyman you are and then you can go fight Conor #OnceaBumalwaysaBum
Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh told Ariel Helwani on his MMA Show that we can't rule out the possibility of McGregor vs Masvidal next. It ultimately depends on Conor McGregor at the end.
If the fight does take place, then Usman is going to be without his next immediate contender. If Leon Edwards beats Tyron Woodley at UFC London (where he's the favorite), then he would cement his place as the next title contender.
However, that fight isn't nearly as marketable as Usman vs Masvidal. Usman hasn't been seeking a fight with Conor McGregor. When asked about him, he simply said that it would be far worse than the beatdown Khabib Nurmagomedov gave him.
Usman has been calling out contenders and said that he'll take the next person put in front of him. If it's up to Dana White, that would be Masvidal and Gamebred seemed to indicate on Ariel Helwani's MMA Show that Usman will be the next person he faces. It's still positive for him and if he beats Usman and McGregor continues to win, there's a high chance they could meet down the line for a Welterweight title showdown.
With that said, it's all open for Conor McGregor. He can go to whichever direction he wants to and hopefully he has an active fighting season. John Kavanagh revealed that his ultimate goal is still to win the 155-pound Championship again - and that may very well have to be through a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
