It appears talks are heating up when it comes to Conor McGregor’s return.
It’s easy to see why a lightweight title fight between Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) 155-pound title holder Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor would be the highest grossing bout for the UFC right now. McGregor is a star who has crossed over into the mainstream media ten-fold, but his bad blood with “The Eagle” also has fans clamoring for the bout. Then of course there’s the question of whether or not McGregor can handle Nurmagomedov’s grappling long enough to earn a knockout or TKO finish.
McGregor must first get past his legal issues. The “Notorious” one is working on a plea deal following his UFC 223 media day attack. Many believe McGregor will get a slap on the wrist, freeing him to compete by the end of the year.
A longtime coach of McGregor’s, John Kavanagh, told ESPN that talks between his fighter and the UFC are “ongoing.” Kavanagh also said he sees some added fire in McGregor as of late:
“I really have seen the spark back lately. I think that was directed at other areas of his life for a while, building up his business world — which is completely justified. We all know the hard-luck stories of fighters retiring broke. They get pats on the back and they’re forgotten. I supported [McGregor focusing on other business] and I’m fully behind it, but I do see the spark back. I do see him very hungry, coming down to regular jiu-jitsu class and throwing a gi on. Strength and conditioning. There’s a real fire back.”
Nurmagomedov fought for the lightweight title back in April when McGregor was stripped of the gold due to inactivity. “The Eagle” defeated Al Iaquinta via unanimous decision after bouts with Tony Ferguson and Max Holloway fell through.
Is Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor the next lightweight title bout you want to see?
