Since Conor McGregor’s quick win over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in the main event of UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, January 18, fans have been wondering who will be next for the former two-division champion.
While a number of options have been thrown out — including potential boxing matches against Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao — McGregor’s longtime coach John Kavanagh has his own preference.
“Justin Gaethje at 170 would be my personal preference because he’s another lightweight, but neither of them have to cut weight,” Kavanagh said during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani MMA Show. “The vision is getting that 155-pound belt back, so it’s a step toward that. ‘
“I don’t see the reason for him to cut weight unless there is a belt on the line, otherwise why would he do it. Stay at this weight, don’t cut weight and then when the big one comes along, shed the last 15 pounds.”
Unfortuantely for McGregor and Kavanagh, it appears that UFC president Dana White would prefer the McGregor-Nurmagomedov rematch.
“When you look at what makes sense, we’re at a place right now where Conor was saying going into the Khabib fight – he had lot of personal stuff,” White told the media following UFC 246. “Some stuff (was) self-inflicted. He had injuries. He had all these things going on. He has been obsessed with getting that rematch because he knows he wasn’t 100 percent, right?
“When you look at this for Khabib, Khabib is 28-0. He’s undefeated. You start talking about this kid’s legacy. First of all, to go 28-0 in this sport? I don’t care who you’ve fought. It’s tough to do. Well, this guy is a world champion. After tonight, with how Khabib won the first time, and how famous Khabib has become since that first fight, we’re looking at Hagler-Hearns. We’re looking at Ali-Foreman (or) Ali-Frazier. This is a massive fight with global appeal. It’s the fight you make.”
Ultimately, after McGregor’s win, he holds all of the cards, so while White may prefer a rematch with Khabib, it will be interesting to see what direction the UFC ultimately decides to go.
Who do you want to see McGregor face in his next bout? Sound off in the comments section below with your thoughts and predictions.
