Could McGregor end his hiatus as early as this year? There’s still steps the UFC star must take, including deciding what division to compete in.
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Conor McGregor is coming back.
McGregor posted on Wednesday that he was offered a role to coach on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. That is the perfect way to add even more substance to his next fight.
McGregor still needs to re-enroll in the USADA testing pool, so he is at least six months away from a fight. That puts him on pace to headline Madison Square Garden in November, which would be a massive return. While that particular part of the fantasy booking is easy, it becomes more complicated to ascertain which division McGregor will call home.
He has experience in three weight classes—featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight. Right now, at 34, the division that makes the most sense, and requires the most reasonable weight class, is welterweight. Stephen Thompson would make a phenomenal opponent, but it is worth questioning whether McGregor would accept anything less than a title shot. In that case, Leon Edwards makes a lot of sense. That would be a fight with interest all over Europe in addition to America. The catch, of course, is that Edwards needs to beat Kamaru Usman in March.
Like him, love him, or hate him, MMA is a far more exciting place when McGregor is fighting. And all signs indicate that will be the case this year.
UFC Fight Night’s Late Start
February 4 is going to be a late night for UFC fans.
The main card for that evening’s UFC Fight Night, which is headlined by Derrick Lewis-Sergey Spivak, starts at 10 p.m. PT in Las Vegas at the Apex.
There is a reason for the late start, and it is because of the Road to the UFC final bouts. Those feature top prospects from Asia, including four bouts with athletes from China, Japan, Korea, India, and Indonesia. Tournament winners will be crowned at flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight, with a UFC contract on the line in each final bout.
Weidman Competing in a Grappling Bout
Chris Weidman is returning to action, competing for Polaris in a grappling bout against Owen Livesey on March 11.
Weidman suffered a gruesome leg injury against Uriah Hall last April at UFC 261, and he has been recovering ever since. A stop in Polaris is a phenomenal chance to test himself, especially against an accomplished grappler like Livesey.
At 38, it is hard to determine how much Weidman has left to offer inside the Octagon. But he is not finished, even after a heinous injury against Hall. His Polaris bout will air on UFC Fight Pass, and it will be fascinating to see what Weidman has left to offer.
