Will Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) lightweight titleholder Conor McGregor return to the Octagon to defend his 155-pound strap by next summer?
In the immortal words of Sgt. Dignam: Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe fuck yourself.
After making a gazillion dollars in his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr., “Notorious” — who captured the crown by ruining Eddie Alvarez in Nov. 2016 — decided to take his ball and go home, because rich people don’t have to work.
Especially when the job entails getting a fist to the face.
“Hopefully he starts to get the itch to come back and hopefully we can get him back this summer,” promotion president Dana White told ESPN SportsCenter (via MMA NYTT). “Whoever wins the Barboza-Khabib fight while we’re trying to figure out this Conor mess could end up fighting Tony Ferguson for the opportunity to fight Conor McGregor.”
McGregor was rumored to be returning at UFC 219, until this happened.
In his extended absence, interim champion Tony Ferguson will await the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Edson Barboza, who collide in this Saturday night’s co-main event inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada (details).
Defend or vacate placate.