UFC in 2017: The Impact of Chasing Conor McGregor
The past couple of years in the UFC have been all about Conor McGregor. Despite his potential extended absence from the Octagon this year, the Irishman will have an impact on several weight classes throughout 2017.
After chasing down Jose Aldo and capturing the featherweight title in 2015, and doubling his efforts with the lightweight title in 2016, Conor McGregor’s UFC career is one for the history books. Even a loss on his record last year, a second-round submission at the hands of Nate Diaz, couldn’t dampen the spirits of his camp, or his fans.
McGregor has had an impressive impact on the sport in his relatively short career, and conjecture about what the 28-year-old can accomplish has always seemed to come up short. The rate at which he’s progressed has everyone wondering what he’ll do next.
Until then, the UFC has a lot to sort out. In the chase for a piece of McGregor, nothing seems crazy. Diaz showed what a victory over the face of the promotion is worth. Now, contenders and champions from bantamweight to welterweight are vying for a shot at “The Notorious” one.
UFC President Dana White says he won’t be back for 10 months, while McGregor says the break will be much shorter. Either way, we’ll be entertained by several of the top fighters in the UFC jockeying for the lightweight champion’s attention. Leading the charge: Aldo.
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The current champion at 145-pounds has been working for a rematch since his 13-second bout with McGregor at UFC 194. Instead, the Irishman focused his attention on the 155-pound belt. Although he was in attendance for Aldo’s defeat of featherweight contender Frankie Edgar at UFC 200 for the interim title, McGregor’s storyline with Diaz needed another chapter.
MGregor has been apathetic about a rematch with Aldo, citing the definitive nature of the initial bout, as well as Aldo’s fighting style at UFC 200. The dismissiveness has only enraged Aldo, who’s since retired, and unretired, from the sport due to McGregor’s matchmaking.
The story seemed to reach a momentary end in the lead up to UFC 206, when “Mystic Mac” was stripped of his featherweight belt, which was then given to Aldo. The promotion felt as though they needed a belt for UFC 206, putting the interim featherweight title on the line between Max Holloway and division newcomer Anthony Pettis.
But just as quickly as the belts had been handed out, Aldo was in talks for another title-shot. Yet, not for his featherweight belt. Although the 145-pound title hasn’t been on the line since Aldo took on McGregor in December of 2015, the Brazilian said that he was offered a bout with lightweight contender Khabib Nurmagomedov for the 155-pound interim title.
What?
The UFC has shown their willingness to force belts onto pay-per-view (PPV) events. A shortage of headline talent is showcasing that fact throughout early-2017. Aldo says that after an immediate featherweight unification bout with interim champ Holloway didn’t come together following UFC 206, the UFC came to him with a fight that everyone would love.
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Aldo’s interest in this fight, or any fight, that gets him closer to McGregor is obvious. The reborn aggression and drive in Aldo is great to see, and his supposed bout with Nurmagomedov would be his biggest signal of intent to-date.
A win for Aldo would certainly muddy the waters atop the featherweight and lightweight divisions. But, his inclusion in the 2017 chase for McGregor seems more like a negotiation tactic, and less like a realistic option upon the Irishman’s return.
A negotiation tactic for what? The answer to that lies with Tony Ferguson. The most obvious matchup for McGregor’s return as lightweight champion is the winner between Nurmagomedov and Ferguson. An incredibly interesting bout that would interest fight fans around the globe is currently hung up, due to contractual demands from Ferguson.
Ferguson wants to renegotiate his contract, in order to make as much money as fellow contender Nurmagomedov. White says that isn’t going to happen. Ferguson just isn’t the star that the Russian fan-favorite is, despite his impressive win tally since 2013.
Winning nine fights in a row, Ferguson’s credentials aren’t in doubt. Neither are Nurmagomedov’s, who extended his undefeated streak as a professional to 24 victories with a dominating performance against Michael Johnson at UFC 205. He then proceeded to call out McGregor in epic fashion.
Both have deserving resumes, and with McGregor’s absence, a number-one contender bout makes all of the sense in the world. While he probably deserves to get paid more in 2017, holding up his fight with Nurmagomedov is only ruining his, and Nurmagomedov’s, potential chances at the biggest payday in the sport: a main even bout with Conor McGregor.
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Nurmagomedov has recognized this, and even offered to pay the supposed $200K difference in pay between the fighters in order for the bout to go on. Ferguson has an argument, as the UFC is no stranger to random renegotiations.
The risk of missing out on the chase for McGregor doesn’t seem to be worth the raise Ferguson is looking for, especially given the promotion’s hard stance. He does have some help, though, from his potential Russian counterpart. Nurmagomedov is uninterested in a fight with Aldo, saying it won’t get him any closer to McGregor.
Should the mess atop the 145 and 155-pound divisions not sort themselves out to McGregor’s liking, more options are available.
Skirmishing in the halls of Madison Square Garden at UFC 205, McGregor’s sudden confrontation with welterweight champion Tyron Woodley turned some heads. Both were focused on other opponents that night, and have since detailed other immediate plans. Yet, another superfight hardly seems out of the question for later this year.
Woodley’s been looking for big money fights since his defense of the 170-pound belt at UFC 205. Calling out the likes of McGregor, Nick Diaz, and even middleweight champion Michael Bisping. The welterweight division is full of worthy contenders, and Woodley will likely fight before McGregor’s return. Should he hold onto the belt, and McGregor’s eyes wander up another weight class, count us among those in favor of McGregor-Woodley.
There have even been rumors of McGregor returning to welterweight to take on a Diaz, again. Except this time, it would be older brother Nick getting the shot at the Irishman. As the world waits for Nick Diaz’s return to the Octagon, as he’s been out since January of 2015. A comeback against McGregor doesn’t seem like the perfect fit. But it’s a matchup overflowing with intrigue, and one we’d love to see.
Don’t get your hopes up, though. Although the rumors of the bout were just those, rumors, even they have been quashed. Anytime one of the Diaz brothers is in the Octagon, we and many more are interested. Throw in McGregor, and everyone is happy.
The type of happy we’ll be when McGregor-Diaz III is scheduled. It could be for the lightweight title when McGregor returns. It’s more likely the UFC holds on to the third fight for a time in which there isn’t a long line of willing and deserving contenders. Nate has said he won’t even pick up the phone for less than $20 million, and there aren’t many fighters who the UFC can pair the younger-Diaz with to get anywhere near that number.
As long as we’re looking at all of the options, a rematch with current interim featherweight champ Holloway isn’t the worst idea. Yeah, we’ve seen them fight before. But with a win over Aldo or another top featherweight contender, Holloway-McGregor II could come sooner rather than later.
Even newly-crowned bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt took time to mention McGregor, and Aldo, among his hopeful potential new bouts. Former champion TJ Dillashaw may have something to say about that. But even the idea of Garbrandt-McGregor gets us excited.
Even though he’s likely out for a good chunk of the year, McGregor is still having as big an impact on the UFC as ever. The past has been about the Irishman’s chase for greatness. Now, it is the rest who are chasing him. Champions and contenders from bantamweight to welterweight want their shot and many more in his own division. His return will be one of the biggest stories of the year. Before that, the multiple-division race to welcome him back will have our attention throughout 2017.
