Nate Diaz, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Jorge Masvidal? Conor McGregor talks future foes
From Khabib Nurmagomedov to Nate Diaz to several others, Conor McGregor is keeping his options open for his UFC return
After attempting to put recent controversies behind him, Conor McGregor is itching to get back into the octagon.
In an interview with ESPN on Thursday, McGregor (21-5 MMA, 9-2 UFC) spoke at length about the different options for his next bout. Over the course of a wide-ranging, at times rambling interview, the former lightweight and featherweight champion named current UFC lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz, Jorge Masvidal, interim lightweight champ Dustin Poirier, former interim champ Tony Ferguson, Justin Gaethje, former featherweight champ Jose Aldo, and featherweight champ Max Holloway as potential next opponents.
Front and center was Diaz, who defeated Anthony Pettis last week at UFC 241 in his return from a three-year absence. McGregor seemed open to completing their famed trilogy sometime in the near future.
One of the most prolific rivalries in MMA history, Diaz (19-11 MMA, 14-9 UFC) and McGregor shared the cage on two separate occasions in a pair of welterweight bouts. After short-notice replacement Diaz handed McGregor his first promotional loss at UFC 196 in March 2016, the two fighters squared off again at UFC 202 in Aug. 2017. This time, the bout went the distance and McGregor earned a majority decision victory.
McGregor said he did not feel snubbed by Diaz, who did not mention McGregor’s name in his post-fight callout at UFC 241. In a move unexpected by most, Diaz elected to challenge Jorge Masvidal instead. McGregor saw the Masvidal (34-13 MMA, 11-6 UFC) callout as a smart one and an effort by Diaz to expand his potential options.
“Nate and I? Come on now,” McGregor said. “Look, we’ve spent almost 50 minutes in an octagon together. The damage is done. They were intense bouts. Very, very intense bouts. But Nate is a crafty individual. He opened up the deck. He opened up the deck for him.
“Nate is a crafty, craft individual. Jorge is on a two-fight win streak. The game is very forgetful. He didn’t really have a great run in the lightweight division, and he’s on a two-fight streak. He was present in the arena. Nate is a crafty individual. I did not feel I was being boxed out. I box Nate out, in reality. If he does not want the trilogy bout, no problem I don’t blame him.”
If McGregor was able to pick any opponent he wanted for his return, the 31-year-old Irishman said it would be a world title rematch against Khabib Nurmagomedov. The two fighters squared off in McGregor’s latest outing at UFC 229 in Oct. 2018. Nurmagomedov (27-0 MMA, 11-0 UFC) submitted McGregor in the fourth round, handing the former champion is second promotional loss. McGregor feels the loss was of his own undoing.
“In the return fight, I want my world title back,” McGregor said. “I want that redemption. The camp was incorrect. I learned so much on that and knowing the commitment I had in that camp and the performance I put on. He ran away for that first round. He didn’t throw a punch. He shot for the legs before he threw a punch. The first round, I should have been talking to (referee) Herb (Dean). He said he was talking to me in the cage? There was not a whisper out of win until he ended up in a dominant position.”
McGregor continued to analyze specifics in their first matchup,”The only reason he ended up in a dominant position was because I walked around disrespectful towards him because he was just running around the cage. I switched off for that millisecond and he got that look. He shot. Even after he got the look, he shot. Although it was a beautiful shot.
“Even after he got the shot, I bounced back up and engaged. What did he do? He shot again. But whatever, there’s many great things that I can take from that. I can come back and avenge that.”
If Nurmagomedov isn’t ready to fight in the near future after his bout with Poirier at UFC 242, McGregor said he’s open to numerous options. From rematches of past fights to new faces and new opponents, McGregor, who, when pressed, said he expects to fight before the year is through, rattled off seven other names which potentially interest him.
“I’m not going to wait around,” McGregor said. “Whoever. If you’re asking me who, whoever. If Dustin (Poirier) goes and it does it – Dustin. If Nate – Nate. If Jorge (Masvidal) – I don’t know what size Dana’s talking about and all that. I don’t even know Jorge that well, because I’ve just seen the last two and the (Al) Iaquinta bout. But anyone. Tony Ferguson. Justin Gaethje. (Max) Holloway rematch. (Jose) Aldo rematch.”
“There are so many bouts for me. And in reality, it doesn’t matter who. It’s just about getting back in and being who I am – not a shell of myself. Not half-committed.”