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What's the story?
On December 15, 2017, Conor McGregor told TMZ that he was looking for a "real fight" in MMA, playing down any possibility of working with WWE when asked about a potential move to the professional wrestling giant.
In case you didn't know...
Conor McGregor was recently embroiled in a controversy after he jumped into the cage at Bellator 187 to celebrate SBG teammate Charlie Ward's TKO victory. The Dublin native then got into a scuffle with referee John Goddard, who hadn't even called a stoppage when the UFC Lightweight Champion decided to disrupt proceedings.
Following the event, Mike Mazulli, the President of the Association of Boxing Commissions and regulator of Bellator 187, publicly condemned the Irishman's actions. During an appearance on the MMA Hour, Mazulli even claimed that Dana White and Company had sanctioned McGregor for his actions by cancelling his return to the Octagon at UFC 219.
However, most of the statements made by Dana White and the McGregor camp in recent months indicate that the two parties haven't come to terms regarding a Lightweight Championship defence.
The heart of the matter
When asked about his plans for the future, "We’ll see what happens. I think a true fight is what I want to do next," McGregor told TMZ. "A real fight, what’s a real fight? MMA next."
When asked about possibly working with WWE, the Irishman emphatically dismissed all reports of him potentially working with the world's largest professional wrestling promotion.
What's next?
In the absence of Conor McGregor, the UFC installed former TUF alum Tony Ferguson as the Interim Lightweight Champion, effectively making him the Dublin native's next opponent by default.
Author's take
As long as McGregor's star power doesn't wane, he will eventually work with WWE in some capacity. Vince McMahon just has a knack for making optimum use of celebrities that can connect with his audience.
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