Who’s next for Conor McGregor? That is the question for the Irishman following his 40-second demolition of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.
Had the ‘Cowboy’ been involved in a Western-style duel on Saturday, he wouldn’t have even got his pistol out of its holster.
After weeks of intense build up and media coverage, fans will be hoping that McGregor’s next opponent puts up a bit more of a fight.
One fighter who almost certainly will is Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Russian mixed martial artist who got the better of ‘Notorious’ when the pair fought in October 2018.
The aftermath of that fourth-round submission victory descended into farce, as both fighters’ camps became embroiled in a mass brawl outside the Octagon.
McGregor was handed a six-month suspension and fined $50,000, while Nurmagomedov was banned for nine months and fined $500,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission.
Given the bad blood between the pair – and how dominant Nurmagomedov was that night – a rematch is perhaps the most tantalizing option for McGregor and UFC fans.
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It was certainly the option UFC president Dana White was pushing the most.
“It’s the fight you make, it’s the fight that makes sense,” White said.
“Khabib is the fight to make. It’s huge for Khabib’s legacy, too.
“If he beat Conor McGregor, then he beats Tony Ferguson [in April], then he beats Conor McGregor again, I mean this is how this kid, when he retires, he’s 30-something-and-0 and he’s beaten all of the best.”
“We’re looking at Hagler-Hearns,” White continued, referring to the 1985 world middleweight boxing match. “We’re looking at like Ali-Foreman, Ali-Frazier. This is a massive fight with global appeal.
Mayweather rematch
Immediately after the fight, Floyd Mayweather Jr. posted a mock promotional poster on his Instagram account for a rematch with McGregor.
The pair fought in a professional boxing match in 2017 and, while it earned the two fighters eye-watering sums of money, the circus that surrounded it drew more than few sneers.
While Mayweather is widely considered one of the greatest boxers of all time, McGregor had never previously fought professionally and the outcome was a bizarre show, with the undefeated American dispatching his opponent in round 10 seemingly once he’d become bored.
Though McGregor said a future rematch isn’t off the table, he has another boxer at the forefront of his mind.
“He forgot ‘McGregor Sports and Entertainment’ on the poster, that right there cuts him out,” McGregor told reporters. “So it’s me and Manny [Pacquiao]. Let’s see what happens. That Floyd, he’s a funny man, that Floyd. We’ll see what happens. The discussions are always on going. They never stop.
“You know Floyd is going through money fast. He’s far from retired, and that rematch will happen at some stage.”
McGregor also admitted to being tempted by bouts against Jorge Masvidal, Ferguson or a third and decisive fight against Nate Diaz.
In 2016, McGregor and Diaz had two blockbuster fights that ended with each having one win apiece.
“Let’s go, Nathan,” McGregor said after his win over Cerrone. “Let’s go, brother. Number three is always here. We’re right here, Nathan.”