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It’s been well over a year since we last saw Conor McGregor in the UFC’s octagon. With 2023 now underway, ‘The Notorious’ appears to be planning a return.
Today saw Conor McGregor make an Instagram post that seemed to hint at him taking up a role as a coach on the next season of The Ultimate Fighter. If that is the case, who could go up against him?
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The UFC could go down two roads with this plan. They could use a season of TUF to set up a fight for ‘The Notorious’, or they could simply use it as a way to build him back up and have him coach against someone who won’t fight him, as they did with Urijah Faber back in 2015.
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With that considered, here are five UFC stars who could coach The Ultimate Fighter against Conor McGregor.
#5. Conor McGregor vs. Islam Makhachev
The dream pairing of TUF coaches from a UFC perspective would probably be Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The two men famously drew the biggest pay-per-view buyrate in UFC history with their 2018 bout, and while they’ve been somewhat cordial on social media in recent years, their bitter rivalry is still very raw, particularly from McGregor’s point of view.
Of course, it’s highly unlikely that ‘The Eagle’ would agree to this gig, especially as he’s retired and has stated recently that he’s planning to take a step back from coaching full stop.
However, Khabib’s protégé, current UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, would probably jump at such a chance.
In many ways, this pairing would make perfect sense. A McGregor vs. Makhachev fight would be huge from a fan interest perspective. Even if the UFC were unable to make the bout, having Makhachev coach alongside ‘The Notorious’ would undoubtedly make him a far bigger star.
Obviously, the promotion would need to wait for Makhachev’s upcoming lightweight title fight with Alexander Volkanovski before making this move, but it could make sense regardless of whether he wins or loses.
Sure, McGregor doesn’t warrant a title shot right now if Makhachev were to come into a coaching gig as a champion, but the UFC has made stranger moves before, and there’s no disputing that this pairing would be cool to watch.
#4. Conor McGregor vs. Jorge Masvidal
One fighter who has had plenty of beef with Conor McGregor on social media over the years is Jorge Masvidal. ‘Gamebred’ is renowned as one of the best trash-talkers in the game, and right now, a fight with McGregor might make a lot of sense.
Both Masvidal and ‘The Notorious’ are desperate for a win, neither man has a really obvious opponent waiting for them, and stylistically, it could make for a hell of a fight.
With that in mind, why not allow the two rivals to coach against each other on TUF?
The reality show has always encouraged fireworks between its coaches, even pairings with less dislike. It’s easy to imagine McGregor and Masvidal getting into plenty of spats.
Whether the UFC would want to put Masvidal in this kind of position given the legal problems he’s incurred after his alleged assault on Colby Covington is debatable, but overall, it could make for some explosive television.
#3. Conor McGregor vs. Charles Oliveira
Before he was defeated by Islam Makhachev in late 2022, former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira appeared to have his heart set on a bout with Conor McGregor.
At the time, from a sporting perspective, it made no sense to offer ‘The Notorious’ an instant title shot. Now, of course, ‘Do Bronx’ no longer holds the title.
Therefore, this fight may well be a possibility, and so the UFC should definitely consider making McGregor and Oliveira the coaches on the next season of TUF.
Like Makhachev, giving Oliveira a coaching stint against McGregor would act as a massive opportunity to build himself up as a bigger star. Given that he’d be favored to beat the Irishman, ‘Do Bronx’ would probably jump at the chance.
Whether ‘The Notorious’ would really be willing to face off with a fighter as dangerous as the Brazilian is very debatable, of course. However, if he were happy to face Oliveira in the octagon, then this would be a coaching pairing that could make plenty of sense.
#2. Conor McGregor vs. Colby Covington
Despite Conor McGregor having openly bragged on social media about his recent muscle gain, suggesting that he could make a permanent move to 170 pounds in the future, it seems highly unlikely that the UFC would match him with Colby Covington.
Put simply, ‘Chaos’ is a stylistically horrible fight for the Irishman. Even the staunchest McGregor haters would probably not enjoy seeing him taken down repeatedly, particularly by a fighter who loves to play the villain even more than ‘The Notorious’ himself.
However, as we saw when McGregor coached TUF against Urijah Faber in 2015, coaches don’t always need to fight each other at the end of a season.
Therefore, it could be fun to announce separate fights for ‘The Notorious’ and Covington, but have them coach the reality show against each other anyway.
After all, the trash talk between the two would be absolutely wild to watch, and if anything, coaching against a fighter as widely disliked as ‘Chaos’ could help rebuild McGregor as a fan favorite.
This would definitely be a left-field move for the UFC, but it could make more sense than it initially seems.
#1. Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler
Judging by the opinions of many fans on social media, it seems like the most popular opponent for Conor McGregor upon his return to the octagon would be Michael Chandler.
‘Iron Mike’ has exploded in popularity since his UFC debut in early 2021. While his record of 2-3 in the octagon isn’t outstanding, he has been responsible for some of the most exciting fights in recent memory.
Essentially, a clash between Chandler and ‘The Notorious’ would be fantastic to watch, and so pairing them against one another on TUF in order to build their rivalry would make plenty of sense.
Everyone knows how much charisma McGregor possesses, but a coaching stint on TUF would also allow Chandler’s equally infectious personality to shine through, and it could make him even more popular than he already is.
The one question mark over this pairing would be McGregor’s willingness to fight someone as tough as ‘Iron Mike’. But, to be fair, the Irishman has never backed down from a tricky clash before. More to the point, Chandler’s popularity would make their potential bout a big drawing card.
If the UFC are serious about making McGregor a TUF coach again, then, this would be the perfect path to take.
