Conor McGregor now wears the crown in two of the UFC’s most stacked divisions. He earned the first when he knocked out Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds last December. He earned the second last Saturday at UFC 205 in New York, when he levelled lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez with a gorgeous second-round combination.
As the king of two divisions, McGregor now has a plethora of matchup options at his fingertips. He could rematch Aldo, who now wears the interim featherweight crown. He could take on the streaking Tony Ferguson, who recently extended his win-streak to nine with a win over Rafael Dos Anjos. Or, he could take on the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov, who improved his record to a sparkling 24-0 with a submission win over Michael Johnson on the UFC 205 undercard.
A potential bout between McGregor and Nurmagomedov is enticing for a few reasons. First, and foremost, because they stand out as the two best lightweights on earth. Secondly, because they’ve already developed a pretty marketable beef, having dissed each other several times in the days surrounding UFC 205. Finally, their potential fight is a compelling one because of the their respective styles. McGregor is one of the best strikers we’ve seen in MMA, but if he’s got a weakness, it’s in the grappling department. Nurmagomedov, meanwhile, is an absolute monster on the mat, but he remains fairly raw in the striking department. Yes, it’s safe to say McGregor and Nurmagomedov’s strengths play right into each other’s weaknesses.
As exciting as this matchup would be we know that McGregor now plans to take some time off to father his first child with long-time girlfriend Dee Devlin. Despite his planned hiatus from the sport, however, fans are already beginning to lobby for a bout between the Irish star and Nurmagomedov.
Talented artist BossLogic recently did his part to add to the hype for this potential showdown by creating an awesome poster for it. The poster depicts Nurmagomedov and McGregor squaring off, evidently ready for battle. Nurmagomedov is accompanied by a bear, referencing his legendary bear-wrestling childhood. McGregor, meanwhile, is accompanied by a tiger, referencing the tattoo on his stomach, and a popular nickname for Ireland: “The Celtic Tiger.”
For those of you hoping the UFC book Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov for the 155lbs championship. Awesome artwork by @Bosslogic pic.twitter.com/9W5PAR1H9N
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) November 15, 2016
Is McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov the fight you want next? Who do you think comes out on top in this epic lightweight style clash? Sound off, PENN Nation!