Who will Conor McGregor fight after his UFC 257 loss?

Conor McGregor may have just suffered a crucial loss in his career but it's not stopping the 'Notorious One' from making his return to the octagon this summer. Following his grueling defeat at the hands of number one lightweight contender Dustin Poirier, it appears Conor McGregor and the UFC are already in talks to steer towards a potential trilogy between the two.

In the wake of Khabib Nurmagomedov's retirement from the sport after the Gaethje fight, it looked like the lightweight division would be put on hold but this couldn't be further from the truth. With noteworthy contenders rising up the ranks, UFC president Dana White intends to have a mini-tournament to both keep the ball rolling and buy time for Khabib.

Since his loss to Dustin Poirier, Conor McGregor's name has come up in possible contention against many fighters. However, with the likes of Charles Oliveira determined to fight for the title next, Conor's team may have to look elsewhere.

After his impressive debut performance against Dan Hooker, Michael Chandler is another contender taking part in the title shot race. In what may become a contention bout to fight Poirier, Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler could be a possible fight for the near future. Regardless, Conor McGregor seems fixated on a trilogy with Dustin Poirier in the hopes of getting his win back. Following his loss against the 'Diamond' at UFC 257, Conor tweeted out his thoughts:

Thanks for the support everyone! Was not my night/morning in there but a great contest to improve on. I’m excited at the blockbuster trilogy I now have on my hands. Dustin is a hell of a competitor and I look forward to going again. God bless us all, happy Sunday ❤️

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) January 24, 2021

Dustin Poirier then tweeted back at the Dubliner in support of a third fight:

You know we are going to do it a 3rd time ⚔

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) February 3, 2021

Dana White keen to make trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier

Speaking to ESPN, UFC president Dana White hinted that a trilogy between the two is in the works. When asked about the possibility of the fight taking place, he said:

"Well, when you have two guys that are in their positions - Dustin is the No. 1 ranked guy in the world, you got Conor who is ranked No. 6, and they want the trilogy, you got to go with the trilogy.We're probably going to try to put that fight together this summer."

"When you've got two guys who want the trilogy as bad as those two do, you make it happen!"Dana White is looking to make the rubber match between @DustinPoirier and @TheNotoriousMMA this summer 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NFIytyXK12

— UFC on BT Sport (@btsportufc) February 12, 2021

With more and more reasons pushing towards a potential rubber match between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier, their third fight may be imminent. The question is, will Conor McGregor right the wrongs he made in his second fight against the 'Diamond'?

Let us know what you think in the comments section below!