Conor McGregor Rumors: Who Will the Current UFC Lightweight Champion Fight Next?
Fighters from the UFC and from boxing have made their intentions to square off against McGregor known
Conor McGregor is arguably the biggest star in combat sports today.
The 29-year-old Irishman made his name in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, rising to the top of the promotion after knocking out many of the foes put in front of him and even claiming not one, but two championship belts in two different divisions.
McGregor then leveraged that meteoric rise of his into a lucrative boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., and in the process, the current UFC Lightweight Champion established himself as a true, mainstream star.
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McGregor's star is shining as brightly as it ever has, and perhaps that is why so many fighters have expressed a desire to face him.
So, which fighter will get the next opportunity to square off against McGregor?
The obvious answer to that question is current Interim UFC Lightweight Champion Tony Ferguson.
Speaking during the post-fight press conference for UFC 216, UFC president Dana White said that the fight between current champion McGregor and interim champion Ferguson was the one "that makes sense," MMAFighting.com reported.
It is hard to really disagree with White because as the champion, McGregor is obligated to defend his title, and Ferguson was named the interim champ during the former's extended hiatus from the UFC.
Ferguson himself has expressed a desire to make that title unification bout happen, but whether or not McGregor is onboard with that remains unclear.
Should McGregor decide that he does not want to fight Ferguson next, it is also possible that he could sign up for a trilogy fight with nemesis Nate Diaz. Diaz memorably defeated McGregor during their first encounter, but then the latter won the rematch, squaring things up at a victory apiece.
A third bout between the two outspoken and unpredictable fighters could make tons of money and it remains an option for McGregor.
There is also a chance that McGregor's next fight may not even take place inside the UFC Octagon.
Following his impressive showing against Mayweather Jr., rumors have been hinting that McGregor could be interested in another big-dollar boxing match.
If that is indeed the case, then he may not be lacking options as well.
While speaking previously to The MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani, Paulie Malignaggi, who is a former boxing champion and McGregor sparring partner, made it known that he would love to face the Irishman in a match, MMAFighting.com reported.
Another boxing luminary, Manny Pacquiao, also seemed to hint at his own desire to face McGregor. A recent Instagram post from Pacquiao features a picture of McGregor and it was also tagged with "#realboxingmatch."
McGregor certainly has many options with regards to his next fight, but for now, only he and the people close to him likely know in which way he is leaning.
More news about Conor McGregor's next fight should be made available soon.
