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Conor McGregor is part of an exclusive club of UFC fighters who have held titles in two different weight divisions, simultaneously. But the Notorious One has nothing to show for now after relinquishing his featherweight belt in 2017 and failing to recapture his lightweight title against Khabib Nurmagomedov the following year.
So is there hope for Conor McGregor to once again become a titleholder in the UFC? The short answer is yes, but he has to go through a couple of tough contenders to get back to the top of the mountain.
Conor McGregor-Dustin Poirier trilogy
Conor McGregor's path to the title is a clear one. He must first win his rubber match against Dustin Poirier, who was recently confirmed as the headliner of UFC 264 on July 10 this year.
Dustin Poirier spoiled Conor McGregor's Octagon return after a year-long hiatus last January. Poirier got his revenge when he scored a technical knockout win against McGregor at the 2:32 mark of the second round. That was after the Irishman knocked Poirier out in the first round of their initial encounter back in 2014.
The next logical step for both McGregor and Poirier, of course, is a trilogy fight to determine the definitive winner of the rivalry. To make things sweeter, UFC president Dana White confirmed that the winner of the fight will be rewarded with a title shot in the near future.
It's either Michael Chandler or Charles Oliveira
If Conor McGregor prevails against Dustin Poirier, he'll get another opportunity at the UFC lightweight title. Who he'll have to face for it, however, is yet to be determined.
At UFC 262, Octagon veteran Charles Oliveira will clash with newcomer Michael Chandler with the vacant UFC lightweight title on the line. The victor of this championship bout will then get either McGregor or Poirier as their first challenger.
If you asked Chandler who he thinks he would face next if he walks out of UFC 262 as the new lightweight champ, he'd tell you that it's probably Conor McGregor:
“If I put my money on it, I think it is going to be Conor,” the former Bellator MMA lightweight champion told ESPN. “I think he makes some adjustments, very small, minor adjustments, and he gets that win in the trilogy.”
But of course, none of that will pan out if McGregor doesn't get past Poirier. For McGregor to reclaim gold, he must put away his rival Dustin Poirier first.
