Have We Reached the End of the Conor McGregor Era? Dana White Wants Tony Ferguson to Get the Next Title Shot Against Khabib Nurmagamedov…
Since about 2015, Conor McGregor has basically been able to dictate to the UFC who he fights and what he fights for. As well as getting away with throwing a dolly through the window of a bus of fighters, he’s even been able to get them to take on his whiskey as an official sponsor of the UFC.
However, there’s no doubt that losing to Khabib Nurmagamedov has somewhat damaged his ability to dictate his narrative. Sure he’s definitely still a massive draw and is set to earn millions from his whiskey which he’s currently going around America promoting, but his desire for a lightweight title rematch might be out of reach for now.
That’s what Dana White says anyway. The UFC president wants Tony Ferguson to get the next shot – as does every hardcore MMA fan in the world.
Deserving
In an interview with Brett Okamoto, White made it clear that Ferguson should be first in line to get the next shot at Khabib. He’s right too: ‘El Cucuy’ is riding an 11-fight win streak, with each more impressive than the last. After being harshly stripped of his interim title for tearing his FCL, he managed to make it back in six months – without physiotherapy – to put a bloody beating on Anthony Pettis.
“As a fight fan, you’ve got to go with Tony. Tony had the belt, tweaked his knee, got stripped, this fight happens — Tony never lost the belt in a fight. Neither did Conor, but Conor got the opportunity to actually fight Khabib. I think Tony deserves the next shot.”
Ferguson is also arguably the most interesting match-up for Khabib in the lightweight division. He’s incredibly difficult to prepare for because of his eccentric style, and also is very effective off his back.
Not Yet
It makes you wonder as well just how control Dana White has over the situation since WME-IMG took over the UFC. He might have his hands tied. When asked about Conor McGregor’s future, White was typically elusive saying he had not even spoken to ‘The Notorious’ since UFC 229. He said:
“I haven’t even thought about a rematch. Obviously, I know Conor wants a rematch. We need to do what’s right and what’s fair. We’ll see how it plays out. We literally haven’t thought about it yet.”
Right. The UFC has such an impeccable history of doing what’s right and fair. We’ll definitely see how it plays out.
What Next?
While McGregor may still get what he wants, the time might actually be right to start negotiating that elusive trilogy match between the Irishman and Nate Diaz. It would be a big earner and a win would obviously give McGregor some much-needed momentum. Diaz is the sort of adversary that brings the best out of McGregor too.
Of course, White also said that if George St. Pierre wants to fight Khabib for the lightweight title, he needs to beat top-five opposition first. We’re not saying anything else…
