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Conor McGregor is right back in the mix with an emphatic win over Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. When asked about what's next for the Irishman, Dana White refused to accept anything else except a rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
It's not guaranteed that Nurmagomedov will get through Tony Ferguson but he's expected to do so. Either way, White indicated that he wants McGregor to have the next title shot, while also admitting that he has to "sit down face-to-face and have a talk" with Justin Gaethje - the man who many feel should be the next Lightweight title contender.
While McGregor was open to the idea of facing Khabib Nurmagomedov at Moscow (something Dana White was staunchly against) and even said he's "more Russian" than Khabib, he admitted that an immediate rematch isn't his priority right now. Telling the media at the UFC 246 post-fight press conference, he said (H/T MMAMania.com)
I think okay, the lightweight title will be there. That will be there. You see the difference in the physique, the preparation and all that. That will come back around, that shot. So I’m certainly not — if the (Khabib vs. Tony) fight does go ahead — sitting out and waiting and then wait through holidays and injuries and everything that goes with it. The who doesn’t matter to me now. I’m looking at dates now. I know March was there. I’m gonna have a look at a calendar and see where we’re at,” McGregor said.
He said that the opponents he lines up are inevitable and that sometimes it just takes time to get around.
"Like I said, the who does not matter. F**k Khabib. The who does not matter. The opponents that I line up are likely all inevitable. Sometimes it takes a while to come back around. Look at the Donald situation. Me and Donald have been going back and forth since 2015. We’re involved in this business and we’ll be here a long time. It’s forever, so there’s no rush on anything. And the who does not matter. It’s just keeping myself in shape, focused, and take it as it comes.”
It's an interesting response given how dominant Khabib Nurmagomedov was over him. However, Dana White insists that Conor McGregor is targeting a rematch eventually. The consensus seems to be that McGregor doesn't deserve a rematch and the only reason UFC is so keen on booking him vs Khabib is that it's the biggest fight in MMA history.
Nurmagomedov has stated on multiple occasions that McGregor needs to do a lot more to get a rematch with him - assuring fans that as long as he's the Champion, the Irishman won't get another match that easily.
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