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Heading into his upcoming rematch against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, Conor McGregor believes he's still the lightweight champion and the former two-division champion has explained why, and bizarrely so.
In a recent interview with ESPN's Ariel Helwani, the Irishman claimed that he is still the king of the lightweight division because Khabib Nurmagomedov was never crowned as champion following the pair's title unification bout at UFC 229. McGregor claimed that since Khabib 'fled the cage' following the fight and wasn't coronated as champion inside the octagon on the night, he never truly became the undisputed title holder.
"I am the champion. The unified title was never crowned that time in October 2018. Khabib fled the cage and left me fighting with his family members. The post-fight ceremony never took place so you know, I feel like I'm still the champion."
Conor McGregor went on to state that he will prove that he is the true champion with his performances inside the octagon. He said that in the time to come, the whole world will recognize him as the best fighter in the UFC lightweight division.
"I still feel like I'm the champion and I'm going to prove that with my performances and time will show that the cream always rises to the top. The world is about to see it."
How accurate are Conor McGregor's championship?
Conor McGregor's explanation as to why he is still the champion at 155lbs is dubious, to say the least. However, it is most likely a matter of tremendous self-belief than anything else. The Irishman, in all likelihood, truly believes that he deserves to be the champion again and isn't afraid to speak it out loud.
However, fact remains that Khabib Nurmagomedov convincingly unified the lightweight title by dominating and subsequently submitting McGregor at UFC 229. Although Khabib wasn't crowned as champion inside the octagon because of the chaotic aftermath of the fight, he was announced as the winner of the fight and the undisputed champion.
Since then, Khabib has defended his title twice against top-contenders like Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje. Therefore, unless the title is vacated, there is no doubt about who the true champion really is.
Conor McGregor will take on Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 in a lightweight clash that will decide the next title contender. If McGregor manages to win and Nurmagomedov agrees to return, the Irishman will get a shot at both the title and redemption.
