Right now, it seems no-one in the UFC is seriously considering Conor McGregor will drop 25 pounds in just a few months and defend his featherweight strap against Jose Aldo.
In the aftermath of UFC 202, McGregor did not seem to enamoured with the prospect of dropping the weight to tussle with a man he prepared 10 months to fight only to drop him in 13 seconds.
UFC president Dana White insists the ball is firmly in McGregor’s court. Despite what lightweights may gripe, The Notorious will be granted first shot at 155 lbs champion Eddie Alvarez if he wants it.
McGregor will argue it is only his due after he took Nate Diaz on 10 days notice, at UFC 196, after former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos damaged his foot and withdrew from the event. Alvarez smote RDA at Fight Night 90, in early July, and feels he would destroy McGregor.
“I'm about to tell the whole world there's no Santa Claus and everybody's going to be disappointed.” https://t.co/zq8QP0eAor
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) September 7, 2016
Former UFC middleweight Chael Sonnen feels the stars are aligning for McGregor and Alvarez to headline UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden in November.
On his You’re Welcome podcast, Sonnen claimed Anthony Pettis’ drop to 145 lbs has given McGregor’s old division a fresh, marketable face. While Max Holloway would surely feel he is deserving of a chance to face Aldo – were McGregor to go lightweight – Pettis has championship pedigree. Sonnen said:
“The politics behind the UFC favour McGregor vs Alvarez as well. Conor would be getting some pressure from the UFC to go back to 145 lbs because what in the hell are you going to do with Jose Aldo?
“There’s no-one there, now, where you’re going to put Jose. So you’re kind of stuck where you go ‘Conor, it’s more helpful if you go back to 145 lbs’. That has changed now that Anthony Pettis has dropped down and had some success.
“They could do an Aldo-Pettis fight. That’s going to draw a former [lightweight] champion against a current champion and that leaves a little less outside pressure on Conor and allows him to go to 55. I think Conor is going to fight Eddie Alvarez next.”
If Sonnen is on the money, Irish fans would love a chance to see McGregor do his thing in New York City
The GAA Hour Hurling Show relives Tipperary’s sensational All-Ireland victory with Paidí Maher. Listen below or subscribe on iTunes.
