Conor McGregor is the most polarizing figure in the MMA world. The Irishman is a former two-weight UFC champion, having held the featherweight and lightweight titles. But suddenly he finds himself outside of the title picture, with Khabib Nurmgamedov, Justin Gaethje, and Tony Ferguson all tied up.
One man who knows the Irishman’s style better than most is Eddie Alvarez. ‘The Underground King’ was dissected by McGregor when he lost the title in 2016. Now fighting for ONE, Alvarez revealed his thoughts on the Irishman’s capabilities in a candid interview with ‘The Score.’
Long story short, he believes that McGregor would beat Tony Ferguson. Alvarez also said what McGregor should concentrate on for the future. Hint: it’s not MMA.
Stylistic Clash
The Philidelphia native told The Score that he believes McGregor beats Ferguson in a potential fight. This is because McGregor is clinical whereas Ferguson is wild. However, he doesn’t see the Irishman ever beating Khabib because of the Russian’s style. He also believes that he’d beat Justin Gaethje. Alvarez said:
“I think Conor would put Tony away. I’d like to see him fight Gaethje, but I’m off the belief he beats Gaethje, but I would like to see the fight. I’d still like to see it. I don’t like the style matchup for him with Khabib. I don’t think he has enough experience in that realm to overcome Khabib at any point.”
Boxing
Alvarez also said that he would be more interested in watching McGregor box than ‘fight.’ While the subtle jibe at the sweet science is amusing, he does raise an interesting point. The Irishman really has nothing left to gain in the MMA world. If he wants to make money, then boxing is where it’s at. Alvarez said:
“I don’t know. Try boxing. I’d probably be more interested to see him box than to see him fight. I’d like to see him get in there not so much with a Mayweather but maybe a C level guy. I feel like he can win against a B or C level guy, not the freaking best of all time.”
To be fair, if McGregor was going to step into that world full-time, then he definitely would have to have tune-up fights before going near an elite athlete. Manny Pacquaio now shares the same management as the Irishman, but you’d have to imagine he’s out of reach for now. Although, ‘The Notorious’ is open about his desire to win a boxing belt.
Big Questions
Suddenly, McGregor finds himself stuck on the sidelines. Will a rematch with Nate Diaz appeal to him? It would make some sense right now because there are few other options available. Another would be a clash with Jorge Masvidal, but ‘Gamebred’ would be the favorite in that one.
The Notorious is vulnerable to being passed by. How long can he sit around and make the MMA world care about him? One thing is for certain, his team will be carefully considering what’s available to them. Money talks.
