5 beatable opponents for Conor McGregor at welterweight

#2. Conor McGregor vs. Robbie Lawler

A past-his-prime Robbie Lawler could be a very viable - and beatable - foe for Conor McGregor at 170lbs

If Conor McGregor is to move to 170 pounds in 2022, then he will almost certainly want to fight an opponent who has a big name and reputation. He’ll also be looking for an opponent who he can beat in order to arrive in the welterweight division with a bang.

In that sense, the perfect opponent for him right now might be former UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler. ‘Ruthless’ ruled over the division with an iron fist from 2014 to 2016 and was part of some of the UFC’s most epic title bouts against Rory MacDonald and Carlos Condit. Back then, the idea of McGregor beating him would’ve been insane.

In the years since he lost his title, though, Lawler has fallen on seriously hard times. Prior to his victory over a past-his-prime Nick Diaz in 2021, ‘Ruthless’ had lost four fights in a row and looked like a shadow of his former self.

Most importantly, Lawler’s once legendary durability appeared to be fading and in his loss to Colby Covington, he looked painfully gunshy.

If he were to fight Conor McGregor, ‘Ruthless’ might still be a dangerous foe for the Irishman. After all, punching power is the last thing to go and Lawler would likely still have enough left to knock McGregor out. However, based on his recent showings, not only is Lawler now more gunshy than he once was, he’s also a lot slower and a lot less durable in his own right.

If he could recapture his earlier form, then Conor McGregor would definitely be hopeful of being able to cut angles on Lawler before landing a bomb to put him away. Stylistically speaking, the aging ‘Ruthless’ would definitely class as a beatable opponent for ‘The Notorious’.

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#1. Conor McGregor vs. Nate Diaz

Could 2022 finally see the trilogy bout between Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz?

By far the most attractive fight for Conor McGregor at welterweight from a financial point of view would be a third bout with Nate Diaz.

The two rivals famously split two fights in 2016, with Diaz stunning McGregor with a second-round submission at UFC 196, only for ‘The Notorious’ to edge out a split decision in an epic five-round rematch at UFC 202.

In the years that have followed, a trilogy clash between the two has often been spoken about, but to date, it hasn’t come to fruition.

So, could it make sense for 2022? Would Diaz be a beatable opponent for Conor McGregor at this stage?

The answer to both questions is yes. Both McGregor and Diaz are desperate for a win right now, with both men having lost their past two bouts in the octagon.

However, it’s probably not a stretch to suggest that ‘The Notorious’ might have a little more left in the tank than the Stockton native. Diaz looked out of ideas for the majority of his fight with Leon Edwards this summer and at the age of 36, he’s probably out of his athletic prime now.

More importantly, McGregor has already beaten Diaz and thus knows all of his weak points. That's most notably a penchant for eating low kicks without really defending them.

The fight definitely wouldn’t be easy, McGregor’s coach John Kavanagh even recently claimed the idea of it “gives him nightmares.” However, Diaz would definitely be beatable. If the former two-division champion could pull it off, he’d instantly be back on track and would be even richer, too.