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It seems like Conor McGregor tests the patience of the MMA world more and more every time he challenges a new fighter on social media. The Irishman's long-awaited octagon return was announced by the UFC back in February, and the fighter chose as his opponent was Michael Chandler.
Fans have not seen 'The Notorious' set foot in the cage since he broke his leg in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. Unfortunately, there's no official date for his expected return, nor does he seem committed to fighting Chandler. Instead, McGregor has challenged multiple fighters over the last few months.
Sometimes, he's fixated on closing out his rivalry with Nate Diaz in a trilogy bout. In other cases, he makes perplexing callouts, like his recent bare-knuckle boxing challenge to KSI, of all people. But a week or so earlier, it was Justin Gaethje. Now, Conor McGregor wants to fight Tony Ferguson.
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The Irishman took to Twitter to call him out for a fight, promising to retire him. That fight, however, is the last thing, besides boxing KSI, that should be on his mind.
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#5. A win would do nothing for Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor is a former UFC two-division champion, the first to hold two undisputed titles in the promotion simultaneously. Despite his recent rough patch, he hasn't been completely dominated in his losses, besides his fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The defeats he suffered against Dustin Poirier were competitive, and his striking is still among the best at lightweight. Meanwhile, Tony Ferguson is on a six-fight losing streak, just one loss away from tying B.J. Penn's seven-fight losing streak, which is the worst in UFC history.
Furthermore, the caliber of opponents that Tony Ferguson has been losing to must be taken into account. He most recently lost to Bobby Green, an unranked fighter who will never come close to a title. Fighting Ferguson would be meaningless for McGregor, as a win over an over-the-hill fighter does nothing.
This is especially true if McGregor's return is meant to prove that he can still face top foes. Beating Tony Ferguson would prove nothing, even Bobby Green, a 30-14 fighter, can do that.
#4. A loss to Tony Ferguson would damage Conor McGregor's legacy beyond repair
Some losses can be explained away. Conor McGregor knows this better than anyone, as he generally has a built-in excuse for most of his losses, as he rarely ever admits he was simply felled by the better man. Against Nate Diaz, he used the size difference as a crutch.
When he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov, he quickly claimed that he hadn't trained seriously, had a broken foot and had a hangover. His loss to Dustin Poirier was the result of him focusing more on boxing, despite promising a masterpiece ahead of the bout. But a loss to Tony Ferguson would be too big a blow.
Ferguson is on a six-fight losing streak. There is no excuse for losing to a 39-year old, who is just one loss removed from tying the all-time worst losing streak in the UFC. If he loses to Ferguson, and worse, is finished by him, there will be no coming back from that, as retirement calls will surely follow such a defeat.
#3. Conor McGregor must commit to fighting Michael Chandler
The UFC has already announced Conor McGregor's return bout. Fans have invested in the idea of the Irishman locking horns with 'Iron,' since Chandler's explosive callout in his post-fight interview at UFC 274. Unfortunately, the Irishman has been non-committal about facing him.
The pair recently filmed The Ultimate Fighter 31 together. Fans have grown used to the two men being linked, and the promotion has invested a significant amount of resources into generating hype for their expected bout. Michael Chandler is the right opponent for 'The Notorious.'
As a former three-time Bellator lightweight champion, who is currently ranked in the top five, Chandler is a quality foe that McGregor would get credit for beating. But he is also beatable due to his poor defense and reckless lunges, which McGregor can snipe him for.
#2. He should have fought Ferguson years ago
The time for McGregor to fight 'El Cucuy' has long since passed. At one point, Ferguson was the UFC interim lightweight champion, while McGregor was the division's undisputed titleholder. Back then, Ferguson was on a 10-fight win streak and one of the most terrifying fighters on the roster.
Meanwhile, Conor McGregor was the biggest star in the promotion, and the entire sport. However, instead of facing Tony Ferguson, the Irishman neglected to ever mention him, despite 'El Cucuy' calling him out on several occasions. Had he wanted to prove his superiority to Ferguson, 2017 was the ideal time.
To do so now in 2023 is too late and the intrigue of fiding out whether Ferguson would slice through him or McGregor's left hand would shatter his foe's legendary shin is nonexistent. Ferguson is shot, McGregor's mystique is gone.
#1. If he doesn't fight either Michael Chandler, Conor McGregor should only consider two other opponents
There are only two other opponents that Conor McGregor should consider in the event that he has his way and doesn't have to cross swords with Michael Chandler. Tony Ferguson, however, is not one of them. Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz are the only two names that make sense.
Justin Gaethje is in title contention and is not coming off of a loss. Despite the money fight that squaring off against McGregor would be, he is chasing glory and McGrgeor being 1-3 in his last four fights does nothing for him, especially when Gaethje has already had two title shots. He cannot squander a third crack.
Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz, however, are foes that generate intrigue. 'The Notorious' can claim unfinished business with 'The Diamond' by pointing out the improbable means by which he lost their last fight, and the buildup to their clash can revolve around revenge.
As for Nate Diaz, both men are on the decline, but their rivalry remains unresolved with two victories apiece. A trilogy bout has been a topic of conversation for some time now. Naturally, it is the only bout besides Chandler and Poirier that makes sense.
