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What’s the story?
As per reported by MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer, it looks like UFC fans will finally be able to witness the much-awaited return of “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, who is reportedly closing in on a deal with the promotion that would see him compete in two fights this year.
In case you didn’t know…
Conor McGregor, who is arguably the UFC’s biggest star, competed in his last professional MMA fight back in 2016 when he won the UFC Lightweight Title off Eddie Alvarez during UFC 205 at the Madison Square Garden, in New York City. Ever since capturing the 155-pound title, McGregor is yet to defend his belt and as a matter of fact, Conor is yet to compete in the Octagon. However, in the meantime, the Irishman did make his Boxing debut when he squared off in a bout against veteran boxer Floyd “Money” Mayweather and eventually lost.
The heart of the matter
MMA Fighting’s Dave Meltzer recently reported in his newsletter that according to current plans, “The Notorious” Conor McGregor is apparently in contention to make a return to the Octagon later this year. Meltzer stated, that several recent rumors have suggested that the negotiations between McGregor and the UFC management have apparently gone well.
"No deal to return has been inked but they are said to be not so far apart and are in talks about him doing two fights in 2018."- Meltzer stated.
Additionally, Meltzer also weighed in on Floyd Mayweather’s possible jump to the Mixed Martial Arts cage in the near future as he claims that he can’t see Mayweather agreeing to a fight against McGregor, even though there is going to be a lot of money on the line.
Lastly, Meltzer added that as per current plans, McGregor will eventually collide with the winner of the upcoming title fight between Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
What’s next?
Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov will square off next at UFC 223 in April with the Interim Lightweight Title on the line. However, President Dana White has claimed that the two men will indeed square off for the real belt and not the interim title, however, nothing has been fully confirmed as of right now.
Author’s Take
I believe that there are a lot of potential fights for Conor McGregor upon his return to the UFC, out of which two of the most probable and anticipated bouts will be against “The Eagle” Khabib Nurmagomedov and the trilogy fight against Nate Diaz.
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