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Yes, Conor McGregor was once a ranked welterweight in the UFC. The Irishman broke into the welterweight top 15 following his January 2020 win against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas.
According to a report by MMA Mania, 'The Notorious' climbed to the No. 14 position on the 170lbs ladder with his win over 'Cowboy'. Conor McGregor delivered a scintillating first-round TKO finish over the American at the event.
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The Irishman reappeared in the 170lbs top 15 in December 2020, after former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis exited the UFC roster. This time, the 34-year-old occupied the No.15 position in the welterweight rankings.
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The Irishman hasn't fought at welterweight in more than two years and is currently unranked in the 170lbs division. Despite losing his last two fights as a lightweight, 'The Notorious' is still the No. 12 ranked contender in the 155lbs division.
The former two-division champion is currently out of action owing to a leg fracture he sustained during his UFC 264 fight against Dustin Poirier. According to Dana White, the Irishman is planning an early 2023 return to active competition.
Interestingly, it looks like the 34-year-old is planning to make his UFC comeback as a welterweight, not a surprise to many, seeing as the Irishman has beefed up considerably during his recovery.
Find out here: Who are the Top Ranked Fighters in the UFC Welterweight Division?
However, former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen believes that a title shot will elude McGregor if he enters the octagon as a 170-pounder.
Chael Sonnen says that Conor McGregor will not get a title shot at 170lbs because of Leon Edwards
In a recent video uploaded to this YouTube channel, Chael Sonnen said that even though there are a lot of interesting matchups for the former two-division champion at welterweight, the title shot is sure to elude him.
Sonnen clarified that because Conor McGregor and current 170lbs champion Leon Edwards are both managed by Paradigm Sports, a fight between the two is very unlikely to materialize:
"I think that we can eliminate the title talk. I know that was real but it turns out that Leon [Edwards] is under the Paradigm management company. So essentially Leon and Conor [McGregor] are teammates. [Even though] Leon and Conor matchup very well."
Watch Chael Sonnen explain why Conor McGregor won't get a welterweight title shot below:
