{"id":285948,"date":"2018-09-25T18:33:04","date_gmt":"2018-09-26T01:33:04","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/?p=285948"},"modified":"2018-09-25T18:33:04","modified_gmt":"2018-09-26T01:33:04","slug":"does-a-future-fight-with-tyron-woodley-make-sense-for-conor-mcgregor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/staging.tcpcharms.com\/bjpenn\/mma-news\/tyron-woodley\/does-a-future-fight-with-tyron-woodley-make-sense-for-conor-mcgregor\/","title":{"rendered":"Does a future fight with Tyron Woodley make sense for Conor McGregor?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tyron Woodley will be watching from afar with a vested interest in less than two weeks when Conor McGregor<\/a> makes his long-awaited return to the Octagon for a lightweight championship fight against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not about the cheap thrills, booze guzzling and quote-worthy commentary that typically precedes the McGregor Show\u2014a lavish fight spectacle that has never failed to live up to the hype.<\/p>\n

Woodley is standing on McGregor\u2019s doorstep looking to pick the most lucrative fight of his career. If the Irish legend defeats Nurmagomedov and reclaims his lightweight throne, maybe he\u2019d consider doing what\u2019s never been done and moving up to welterweight to vie for a third division title.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s left after the fight with Nurmagomedov, as McGregor himself questioned onstage at last week\u2019s pre-fight press conference<\/a>?<\/p>\n

Of course, there is a long line of deserving contenders waiting in the wings for a chance to win the lottery ticket fight, but McGregor\u2019s thriving popularity\u2014love it or hate it\u2014has transcended title defending in a traditional sense. He has a featherweight and lightweight title sitting on his mantle that have both never been defended.<\/p>\n

The UFC had always obliged in putting everything on hold whenever he decided to pursue outlandish feats such as fighting Nate Diaz<\/a> at welterweight, challenging Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight title and pursuing a boxing match with legendary fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. He has never shown any interest in staying put and racking up title defenses within the same division.<\/p>\n

And Woodley knows this.<\/p>\n

The reigning welterweight king\u2019s timing is impeccable in opening up about a potential fight down the road with McGregor. Ahead of what is being billed as the ‘biggest fight in MMA history’, he is making himself the elephant in the room McGregor can\u2019t avoid acknowledging, if he does what he says he\u2019s going to do on October 6.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be there. I\u2019ll be working the desk,\u201d said Woodley, during an appearance on TMZ<\/a>. \u201cI would think that if Khabib\u2019s really about that action, he\u2019s going to do what he says and it\u2019s going to be really tough for Conor to have any lead in the arm to throw that knockout punch in the fourth or fifth round, so I would say Khabib [wins]. But just for selfish purposes, if Conor wins, then the only fight that makes sense is for him to fight me. Try to get a third belt.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n