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Conor McGregor might be down, but he's not out yet. For those already writing off the former two-division UFC champion following his shock defeat at the hands of Dustin Poirier, remember that 'a wounded animal yet bears teeth'.
As McGregor goes back to the drawing board following a thoroughly humbling defeat against a man he knocked out back in 2014, the Irishman must plot his next step carefully. Another loss in his next fight could take away a lot of the fanfare surrounding The Mystic Mac.
Much of the mystique surrounding Conor McGregor lies in the fact that he always backs up the bold predictions he makes before the fight. This time around, the TKO loss at UFC 257 against Poirier after predicting a first-round victory for himself has dealt a massive blow to McGregor's aura. Not just that, the manner of the defeat has a lot to do in this aspect.
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Conor McGregor put people to sleep with his left hand in the past. However, this time around, he got slept with The Diamond's left hand instead.
It made people wonder whether Conor McGregor will ever be the hungry, wild, and dangerous man he once used to be inside the octagon, again. Yet, this is not the first time we've seen McGregor lose a fight.
In 2016, when Nate Diaz shook up the world by beating The Notorious One, the Irishman got back on the grind, fixed the errors that cost him the fight the first time around, and won in a rematch the very same year. Even then, almost everyone had written McGregor out ahead of the battle. All he had to say after conquering Nate Diaz was 'doubt me now'.
That brings us to the most crucial question at the moment: What's next for Conor McGregor? While he's unlikely to get an immediate rematch because Poirier will probably fight for the title next, there are a host of other big fights for McGregor to choose from.
Let's look at the three most logical opponents for Conor McGregor's next fight in the UFC.
1. The trilogy fight against Nate Diaz
The trilogy fight against Nate Diaz will attract eye-balls like crazy and deserving of a non-title main event in a pay-per-view. Conor McGregor is the biggest money-spinner in the fight business and - adding to his rivalry with Diaz - this matchup is a blockbuster in every sense of the word. Dana White, for one, would love to see this scrap go down.
McGregor and Diaz had previously fought each other in a pair of welterweight scraps back in 2016, and they are tied at 1-1. White has already stated that Diaz is returning to the UFC in 2021 and will compete in the lightweight division.
Conor McGregor is currently not in the title picture after the loss against Poirier and Diaz hasn't fought since 2019. The Irishman had claimed that the trilogy fight must take place in the lightweight division and there's no better time to settle the rivalry than now. It will be a good scrap for sure and the perfect opportunity for McGregor to bounce back from the defeat against Poirier.
Diaz needs a big name opposite him and who better to dance with than Conor McGregor if you want to take home a handsome payday for slogging it out inside the octagon?
2. Tony Ferguson
'El Cucuy' has been calling out Conor McGregor for the past few years, and it seems that right now, the pair are finally close to being matched up. Both Tony Ferguson and Conor McGregor are widely considered two of the very best lightweights on the planet.
However, they have been having a torrid time in the division lately. Ferguson saw his incredible 12-fight win streak cut short by a violent TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC 249. He was then thoroughly dominated by Charles Oliveira at UFC 256. Oliveira almost ripped Ferguson's arm off with a nasty armbar during the fight.
After making a stellar debut in the 155lbs division by knocking out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, Conor McGregor fell prey to The Eagle in the main event of UFC 229 in October 2018. After three years of inactivity (the Donald Cerrone fight was at welterweight), he returned to the lightweight division to fight Poirier at UFC 257, and we all know what happened next.
Therefore, it would make sense for the UFC to book a fight between Ferguson and McGregor to see which of these two veterans still has it in them to compete at the premier level. Not to mention, the fight would also be economically viable for the UFC thanks to the trash-talking personas of both men involved.
3. Justin Gaethje
This pairing is probably the most challenging fight that Conor McGregor could sign up for on the back of a devastating loss. Still, a win against Justin Gaethje would work wonders for the Irishman's confidence and steadily fading aura.
Although Gaethje, like everyone else, fell to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 254, he remains one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC. Before the loss against Khabib, Gaethje picked up four KO wins on the trot, with three of them coming in the first round.
Conor McGregor is known as one of the best strikers of the game, and it will be exciting to see how he fares against someone who, just like him, is known for his knockout artistry. It will be a firefight for sure if McGregor truly comes to the party.
There's another interesting aspect of this potential fight: Gaethje is a master of leg kicks. Dustin Poirier, the man who broke down Conor McGregor with vicious leg kicks himself, got a taste of how those shots feel when he fought Gaethje.
If he manages to negate Gaethje's leg kicks, it will be proof that Conor McGregor did learn from his mistakes. A win against a top contender like Gaethje will also put the Irishman in pole position for a title fight given his massive popularity.
The dark clouds of uncertainty surrounding McGregor will all evaporate if he can take on and defeat Gaethje next, but what if it's the other way around?
