Conor McGregor claims he will fight for the UFC lightweight title NEXT… despite losing his last three fights at 155 pounds and being ranked No 9 in the division
- Conor McGregor has claimed he will fight for the UFC lightweight title next
- McGregor, 33, is currently sidelined after breaking his leg at UFC 264 in July
- The Irishman has lost his last three UFC fights at lightweight and is ranked No 9
- Despite this, McGregor made the bold claim that he will fight for UFC gold next
Conor McGregor may have lost his last three lightweight fights, but that has not stopped the UFC star from claiming he will compete for the 155-pound title on his return to the Octagon.
The Irishman, 33, is currently sidelined with a broken leg sustained during his UFC 264 defeat by Dustin Poirier in July, serving as a blow to the former two-weight world champion’s hopes of reclaiming his title.
With Poirier taking on Charles Oliveira for the lightweight throne next month, as well as Justin Gaethje and Islam Makhachev holding strong claims for a shot at UFC gold, McGregor appears some way off challenging for the crown.
Conor McGregor has claimed that he will fight for the lightweight title on his return to the UFC
Yet The Notorious is adamant that he will walk into a title shot once he heals up from his leg injury.
The 33-year-old took to Twitter on Monday to respond to an ESPN article weighing up the Irishman’s limited options, insisting that he will fight ‘whoever has the lightweight title’.
‘Hi lads, here goes.. clicks and the like. Your boss and what not. The Mac. Santy Claus. I’m facing whoever the f*** has that LW title next,’ he tweeted.
McGregor, 33, has lost his last three lightweight fights and was beaten by Dustin Poirier in July
Charles Oliveira (L) and Poirier (R) will compete for the lightweight title at UFC 296 next month
‘Deal with it. Take off your goggles and mark the trilogy ‘unfinished’. Deal with that too. The rest mentioned, after this. Deal. With. It’.
Victory for Poirier at UFC 269 could see McGregor compete for the lightweight title next. Although the American is 2-1 over the Irishman, the manner of Poirier’s win at UFC 264 have left some fans calling for a fourth clash to settle the pair’s rivalry.
Last month, McGregor also said he was willing to fight lightweight contender Michael Chandler. The former Bellator champion, 35, has lost his last two fights – to Oliveira and Gaethje – but still remains in the top five reckoning while McGregor is ranked No 9.
UFC president Dana White says McGregor will headline when he makes his Octagon return
Whether McGregor takes an immediate title shot remains to be seen, but UFC chief Dana White said earlier this month that McGregor will return as a headliner once he reaches full fitness.
‘He’s still one of the top 10 guys in the world. I mean, he’s still one of the top 10 best guys in the world,’ he told Pardon My Take.
‘It would depend on who he’s fighting and things like that, but yeah, Conor [McGregor] coming back is a headliner.’