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In the world of MMA, there can never be a bigger name than Conor McGregor. The 'Notorious' Irishman is the highest-paid athlete in the world, according to a Forbes report released this year.
Despite not being a champion, the 33-year-old fighter is still the face of the UFC. Chael Sonnen believes there's a different set of rules for McGregor in the Dana White-led promotion.
Speaking in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Sonnen added that McGregor could even get a welterweight championship opportunity in the future.
"The fight many people are discussing is Poirier and McGregor. But that can change extremely quickly. Diaz is out there somewhere. Does McGregor want to stay at 155 (pounds)? I can see a scenario where Conor can fight for the world championship. As silly as it might seem, there's a different set of rules for Conor. And if he comes back and wins, does it in a main event, does it in great fashion, then it's not completely unlikely that he uses his last fight up at 170 pounds, possibly challenging for a belt. You can't convince me that Conor McGregor isn't one win away from being number one contender again. You're never going to convince me that Kamaru Usman or Colby Covington, whoever has the belt at that time, won't be interested. It's very hard to guess but it all ties back," said Chael Sonnen.
Watch Chael Sonnen speak about Conor McGregor's future on his Beyond the Fight series below:
Chael Sonnen, who is a former UFC light heavyweight and middleweight title challenger, retired from MMA in June 2019 after a stint with Bellator. He currently has his own YouTube channel, where he gives his opinion about various matchups in the sport.
What's next for Conor McGregor in the UFC?
Conor McGregor has lost three of his last four fights. All three defeats came in the lightweight division; two against Dustin Porier and one versus Khabib Nurmagomedov.
His most recent victory came against Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout in January 2020. After breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July this year, McGregor is currently recovering ahead of a likely 2022 return to the cage.
One name discussed for his return is Nate Diaz, against whom he has a win and a loss. A trilogy fight between the two fighters could shatter pay-per-view records yet again.
