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Conor McGregor returns to the Octagon this Saturday, Jan. 23, meeting Dustin Poirier in the first tournament of UFC 257 in Abu Dhabi.
This marks McGregor’s first fight in precisely over a year, and plenty of of the identical questions regarding his future hang but to be answered. He also stays surrounded by controversy, as he used to be factual the recipient of a civil lawsuit that comes attached with loads of inappropriate allegations. Nonetheless a look into McGregor’s immediate combating future begins with this Saturday, which is a bout that will straight away influence the mild-weight championship title image.
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Despite the hype, reigning mild-weight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov stays no longer more seemingly to attain to the Octagon, especially towards McGregor or Poirer, two opponents he has already defeated. If Nurmagomedov does return from retirement, the likelihood is powerful greater for a bout—doubtlessly at 170 and even 185 kilos—towards Georges St-Pierre. Nurmagomedov is no longer expected to bewitch one other fight towards Poirier, who he defeated in Sept. 2019, and would possibly perchance perchance well moreover simply almost certainly ignore McGregor despite the undeniable reality that he calls him out following a raise at 257. The caveat, obviously, is that a McGregor–Nurmagomedov fight is a big blueprint. As no longer seemingly because it’s that Nurmagomedov would rep, there is ceaselessly the likelihood that he is equipped a search the advice of with sufficient zeros to persuade him to fair rep.
Nonetheless any doable future with Nurmagomedov is moot if McGregor loses on Saturday.
McGregor appears to be like to be in high situation and sounds motivated, which is important brooding about Poirier is his splendid check—with all due respect to Donald Cerrone—since meeting Nurmagomedov in Oct. 2018. So, this shall be telling which McGregor exhibits up: the one who outclassed Eddie Alvarez in 2016, or the one who struggled towards Nurmagomedov’s hanging and jiu-jitsu?
If McGregor wins, he’ll no doubt need the rematch with Nurmagomedov. If he doesn’t salvage it, he’la an different win a shot on the mild-weight championship, which is able to must be vacated. The opponent of that fight will almost certainly be the winner of the UFC 257 co-essential tournament of Michael Chandler vs. Dan Hooker.
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At any time when discussing McGregor and a title fight, the UFC is ceaselessly desirous about the opponent that will lead to the splendid blueprint. Hooker has been on a hype command for the past two years and appears to be like to be like sensational, so he is in play for a date with McGregor. Chandler, who had been the splendid MMA megastar running outside the partitions of the UFC, is now real in the mix with a raise at 257. Sadly, this leaves Charles Oliveira as the uncommon man out, nonetheless he must be positioned as the first in line for a shot on the original champion.
McGregor possesses megastar vitality cherish few others, nonetheless that does no longer indicate the fight towards Poirier is a lock. Poirier is currently running at an extremely high level, and he has more ways than McGregor to raise this bout. McGregor is the well-liked for a motive, nonetheless it completely must arrive as no shock if Poirier wins. Nonetheless despite the undeniable reality that McGregor loses, which would possibly perchance perchance well indicate his chronicle shifts from 22-4 to 22-5, his ability to blueprint will remain.
If away from the title image, the opportunities for McGregor are extremely enticing. He would possibly perchance perchance well fabricate his trilogy with Nate Diaz, and the different of a BMF bout towards Jorge Masvidal will be a marquee headliner. Composed, there’ll not be any longer this form of thing as a denying that McGregor is even more lucrative for the UFC if he is mild-weight champion. And if he defeats Poirier, the safe wager is that he’ll face the winner of the Hooker–Chandler in a bout to safe out a original champion.
Having a look just a few steps forward, McGregor regaining his put as champion would arrive with a caveat for the UFC. He’s no longer as lively as he as soon as used to be—the final time he had three fights in a year used to be 2016. An argument would possibly perchance perchance well also be made that it’s greater for the UFC’s tournament time table to hang Poirier as champ and McGregor as a featured enchantment. Nonetheless excitement shall be on paunchy blast if McGregor begins a original bustle with the belt.
There would possibly perchance be so powerful at play, raise or lose, with McGregor, and the questions regarding his future will lastly be answered at UFC 257.
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