If Jose Aldo wins at UFC 179, Conor McGregor likely next in line
On Thursday night, the MMA world was sent into a flutter after Conor McGregor took to Twitter to announce that he was fighting Diego Sanchez at UFC 180 in November.
The message came out well past midnight on the east coast, so nobody was around right away to confirm or deny the news, but based on McGregor's tweet the fight seemed like it was really happening.
Fast forward a few hours and UFC president Dana White quickly kiboshed the matchup, saying that McGregor wanted the fight desperately after Sanchez's original opponent Norman Parke fell off the card due to injury.
Needless to say, McGregor isn't actually facing Sanchez, but that's just the kind of spirit the Irish superstar carries at all times, and it's likely going to land him in a title fight for his next trip to the Octagon.
There's been plenty of speculation after McGregor knocked out Dustin Poirier in the first round of their matchup at UFC 178 this past Saturday whether or not he could potentially get the winner of the upcoming title bout between featherweight champion Jose Aldo and No. 1 contender Chad Mendes.
White says if Aldo wins at UFC 179, chances are McGregor's getting the next crack at the title.
"Here's the thing: If you go down the list, every one of those guys has fought Jose Aldo already," White told UFC.com. "Conor hasn't. So who do you line up next for the champ other than Conor? Everybody else has fought him."
The next two contenders currently ranked above McGregor in the top five have faced Aldo previously and both have lost. Cub Swanson, currently ranked No. 2, was knocked out by Aldo in seven seconds in their fight in 2009. Frankie Edgar had a much closer battle with Aldo in 2013, but still came up short on the judges' scorecards.
That leaves McGregor as the last man standing if Aldo gets past Mendes in Brazil at UFC 179.
While it's not a guarantee, all signs are pointing towards an Aldo vs. McGregor title fight if the Brazilian retains his belt. Given Mendes' record lately -- he's won five fights in a row including four by TKO or knockout -- he's certainly going to give the champion everything he can handle before McGregor can possibly even enter the picture.
