'Stand tall, you are a legend' - Diego Sanchez praises Conor McGregor before announcing his UFC 'finale'

It was a rough return to the Octagon for Conor McGregor last month against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.

The Irishman was knocked out by Poirier in the second round after having his left leg battered by kicks.

Conor McGregor has now dropped two of his last three fights, three of the last four, if his TKO loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. inside the boxing ring is counted. Nevertheless, UFC veteran Diego Sanchez recently took to Twitter to offer Conor McGregor some words of encouragement.

@TheNotoriousMMA I know your last fight was not your best showing, stand tall you are a legend & will continue to have more legendary success! It looks to be cowboy for my UFC finale. Sanchez versus McGregor will always be in the ether! HMU in the dm I might Have a bone for you.

— Diego Sanchez UFC (@DiegoSanchezUFC) February 4, 2021

Conor McGregor and Sanchez have been linked to a potential fight in the past. The Irishman campaigned to UFC president Dana White for a fight with Sanchez shortly after the latter's disqualification victory over Michel Pereira in February last year.

However, many opined that McGregor was angling himself for an easier fight, as Sanchez is a longtime veteran of the sport and is clearly past his prime.

Of course, the fight never materialized, and Sanchez instead went on to fight Jake Mathews at UFC 253 last September. Sanchez lost the fight via a unanimous decision after three rounds.

Now, it has been reported that Sanchez will make the final walk of his UFC career on May 8 when he takes on fellow longtime veteran Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone. ESPN confirmed the matchup, which was initially reported by MMA Fighting:

Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone and Diego Sanchez have verbally agreed to a welterweight bout on May 8, sources confirmed to @marc_raimondi following a report by MMA Fighting. pic.twitter.com/zdDDaNZmns

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 5, 2021

What lies ahead for Conor McGregor?

Conor McGregor has to sit back and decide the next course of action in his fighting career.

While the Irishman would like to settle the scores with a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, the possibility of a third and final bout with Nate Diaz also looms.

Who would you like Conor McGregor to face next? And what are your thoughts on Sanchez's kind words to the former 'Champ Champ'? Let us know in the comments section below!