Conor McGregor is already planning for life after Donald Cerrone. He believes that he has a genuine shot of going after a third title. The Irishman was the first man to hold two UFC belts in different weight classes at the same time. After failing to defend the featherweight and lightweight titles, he was stripped.
That doesn’t seem to phase ‘The Notorious’ who lost to Khabib Nurmagamedov when he fought him for the 155lb belt last year. He will fight Donald Cerrone in a couple of weeks in a bit to get his career back on track. The journey towards redemption starts in Las Vegas.
But the Irishman thinks he has a genuine shot at the 170lb belt. He’s taking his fight against Cerrone at welterweight. This is his third fight at 170lbs. However, does he actually realize how big the champion Kamaru Usman is? Or how good ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ is at wrestling?
Title Fight
McGregor spoke to the MacLife.com about his future. He’s open to fighting the best fighters at lightweight and welterweight. The Irishman has previously been linked to a BMF title fight against Jorge Masvidal. But he would prefer a real title shot. There is definitely something alluring about being the first three-weight champion in the history of the promotion.
“I liked the look of that welterweight bout, the welterweight title fight,” McGregor continued. “I like the look of Kamaru Usman, I like the look of Colby. I’m open to it all at 170.”
Can you imagine the trash talk if he fought Covington? Let’s hope it never happens because it would be absolute torture to listen to them.
Committed
One of the biggest criticisms aimed at McGregor is his lack of hunger. First of all, this isn’t really fair because he does have $100 million in the bank. That’s enough to turn anybody’s head. Of course, that doesn’t justify him punching old men or damaging property. It’s been a rough year for the Irishman but now it’s time to put things right.
“People forget about my skill base,” he said. “I’m going to go in there and remind them. I don’t feel these people are on my level when I’m committed. I’ve not been committed in a while, up until about a year ago. I started really committing myself. I look forward to going back and showcasing my skills to the people.”
Cowboy
But first of all, he has to get past ‘Cowboy.’ Cerrone at welterweight is no easy task. The American has excellent standup and probably is better on the ground than ‘The Notorious.’ However, he has been knocked out twice in his last three fights. Furthermore, he also starts off notoriously slow. This could play into McGregor’s hands.
McGregor is definitely the more dynamic fighter. His movement could trouble Cerrone while his knockout record is one of the best in the business. The longer that Cerrone lasts, the more you have to favor him. But he has to stay away from McGregor’s missile of a left hand.
Finally, it will be fascinating to see how McGregor’s gas tank holds up. He has a slightly unfair reputation for tiring after two rounds. After a full training camp, he can have no excuses. McGregor v Cerrone goes down in the main event of UFC 246 in Las Vegas.
