"Maybe Christmas time" - Conor McGregor sees himself fighting for the UFC lightweight title in December

Conor McGregor already has his mind made up about a potential timeline for a lightweight title bout.

Currently ranked at no.5 in the division, the Irishman believes a win over Dustin Poirier in their trilogy fight at UFC 264 will earn him a shot at the UFC lightweight belt, currently held by Charles Oliveira.

Speaking to Oscar Willis of TheMacLife ahead of UFC 264, Conor McGregor opened up on what the future holds for him after he goes through Dustin Poirier with a 'devastating KO.' Conor McGregor has stated that he believes the lightweight strap will be defended sometime around Christmas this December and that he sees himself challenging Charles Oliveira for the belt.

'The Notorious' also said that he believes the championship fight will take place at the newly renovated Allegiant Stadium, which has earned the nickname 'Death Star' due to its futuristic appearance.

"I'm already thinking that Allegiant Stadium is where we are heading. I feel maybe Christmas time, December - I don't know, we'll talk afterwards. But that world title will be contested in the Allegiant Stadium here in Las Vegas, I would imagine so. I like the look of it. It's called the Death Star as well, and that's how I am feeling like right now - a Death Star... I will be the 12th lightweight titleholder and this is my 12th UFC main event this Saturday, and I am aiming for my 20th mixed martial arts knockout, " Conor McGregor said.

Home to the Las Vegas Raiders, the Allegiant Stadium opened up a year ago amid COVID-19 restrictions with a completely new look. Raiders owner Mark Davis compared the stadium to the galactic space station of the Empire from the Star Wars franchise. Given the current appearance and the history of the Allegiant Stadium, it would indeed be a fitting venue for a fight of that profile.

‘Welcome to the the Death Star, where our opponents’ dreams come to die.’ -Mark Davis #MayThe4th #vegas #raiders #stadium pic.twitter.com/R4mVLVgeKz

— Mick Akers (@mickakers) May 4, 2021

While any location or date remains to be announced for a lightweight title fight, UFC president Dana White has stated that the winner of the trilogy fight between Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier could definitely be in line for a shot at the gold.

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Conor McGregor: Setbacks are a beautiful thing

Conor McGregor is known for always bouncing back from his defeats and scoring a stellar victory to get back to winning ways.

Starting from avenging his first UFC loss to Nate Diaz with a majority decision win in the rematch to making a scintillating return to the octagon against 'Cowboy' Cerrone after a humbling loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor has proved that defeats do not demotivate him.

Practice makes perfect 🎯 @TheNotoriousMMA[ #UFC264 | Sat. July 10 | Live on E+ PPV: https://t.co/DZxtGSEqWu ] pic.twitter.com/bbCJoCnAya

— UFC (@ufc) July 6, 2021

Suffering the first KO loss of his career at the hands of Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, the Irishman is iron-willed to turn the tables once again on July 10, when he meets 'The Diamond' for all the marbles.

"It's what I always do - analyze the fight, win, lose, or draw. Get back to the drawing board, improve the do's and the don'ts, what worked, what didn't, etc. It's what I do. This is my bread and butter... setbacks are a beautiful thing, you know what I mean? Defeat is the secret ingredient to success. It has put me right where I need to be," Conor McGregor said.

Watch the full video interview below: