Robbie Lawler issues bullish response to possibility of fighting Conor McGregor

Diplomacy at its very best.

It seems Conor McGregor is not happy to be competing at two weight divisions in the UFC. Last night the Dubliner announced in an interview that he would like to challenge for the welterweight UFC belt too, and make the move to 170.

"I'm coming for that belt. I'm coming for that next belt. I'm coming for the whole company."

The featherweight is a man in a hurry. In just over two weeks he’s bidding to become the only fighter ever to simultaeously hold two straps at two different weights, when he fights Rafael dos Anjos in the lightweight title showdown in Las Vegas on March 5th. Robbie Lawler is of course the current welterweight champion, and there has been much discussion that a possible fight between McGregor and ‘Ruthless’ could be on the card for UFC 200. Lawler has no shortage of men who want to fight him to try and wrest away his UFC crown, such as Carlos Condit, but McGregor has outlined why he feels he could easily compete at 170.

"Look at everyone down there - 180 - 200 lbs easily. Everyone I'm sparring is well over welterweight. I've got middleweights coming in fresh to try to wear me down. So why not go up? They get slower and they get even less free up there."

Lawler is not a man for trash talking, or rising to bait too often, but he was a guest on last night’s UFC Tonight, and when pushed by Daniel Cormier if he would like a crack at the Irishman at some stage in 2016, he was very diplomatic in his answer, even if it was hidden behind a grin. Cormier asked Lawler if he would smash McGregor if he moved up to 170, and the champion was confident he could handle whoever is put in front of him in an octagon.

“I’m going to concentrate on myself and you know how I fight and I just try and take people’s heads off and finish people so whoever the UFC puts in front of me I’m going to go and try and take out.”