Combat sports fans have been waiting to find out what UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor will do next after losing to boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. over one month ago. While the Irishman’s immediate UFC plans are still up in the air, “Notorious” did take some time to sit down for a highly-anticipated Q&A earlier today (Fri., Sept. 29, 2017) from inside the SEC Armadillo auditorium in Glasgow, Scotland.
During his hour-long interview, McGregor touched on multiple points, but non more interesting than his desire to jump back into the Octagon in 2017. According to MMA Fighting’s Peter Carroll, who was in attendance, McGregor is open to returning to UFC on Dec. 30, but has a few stipulations in doing so.
McGregor says the only way he fights on Dec. 30 is if he only has to show for the weigh-in and then fight
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) September 29, 2017
UFC has granted the Irishman’s requests in the past (e.g. Floyd Mayweather Jr. superfight) so it’s possible that the promotion could bend once again. After all, McGregor does a ton of self promotion through social media that sometimes surpasses the efforts of UFC and its marketing team.
If McGregor does sign on the dotted line for Dec. 30, which is currently slated as UFC 219 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, who exactly would he defend his lightweight title against? While rumors have swirled about a possible trilogy bout with nemesis Nate Diaz, McGregor revealed earlier tonight that he’s keeping every option open.
McGregor says he's waiting to see what happens with Lee and Ferguson, wants to look at the whole picture before he makes a decision
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) September 29, 2017
“An option; there’s an interim belt on the line right now – that’s an option,” said McGregor of Tony Ferguson vs. Kevin Lee, which is scheduled to go down at UFC 216 on Oct. 7 live on pay-per-view (PPV) from Las Vegas.
“I’m happy they’re fighting,” said McGregor. “This is what I wanted because they’re all bums at the end of the day make no mistake about that. I’m just happy they’re fighting. I just want to see them compete.”
“I’m just going to put a few options out there and see what bounces back,” added McGregor. “It’s got to excite me, let me see what these two fools do this weekend. We’ll see what the energy is like.”
A rubber match with Diaz is obviously the most lucrative play for McGregor and UFC at this time, but the 29-year-old Irishman could decide to give the winner of Ferguson vs. Lee a red pantie night to remember.
Ferguson poses a unique threat inside of the Octagon and Lee is quickly becoming one of the more polarizing characters in the UFC’s stacked lightweight division. Testing his abilities against either one of them would surely motivate McGregor. And even if Diaz isn’t part of the Irishman’s next combat conquest, “Notorious” is almost guaranteed to record another PPV showcase over one million buys.
Stick with Mania for more news on McGregor’s Q&A from Scotland and inevitable UFC return.