While the manner of Conor McGregor’s defeat to Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 was unfortunate, it left huge questions hanging over the head of the man known as ‘Notorious’. A broken leg forced the Irishman to retire, thereby robbing MMA fans of what could have been one of the best contests in recent times.
Naturally, all of those questions relate to McGregor’s future. At the age of 33 and with a severe injury to overcome, will he ever step into the Octagon again or are his fighting days at an end?
First Things First
Unless Conor McGregor makes an immediate decision to retire from all combat sports, he’ll wait for that leg to heal before deciding on his next move. There must be a desire to compete at the highest level in MMA once again. Notorious has suffered consecutive defeats which have spoiled his overall record and there will be a need to prove those doubters wrong.
There is, for now, a serious injury to overcome and the Irishman will need a long period of rest and rehabilitation before he can consider what comes next.
The Machine Rolls on
Ultimate Fighting Championship will press on regardless but the potential loss of one of its biggest entertainers is a blow. The betting markets for McGregor vs Poirier III were tight with odds supplied from sources via asiabet.org showing the American to be the slight favorite.
Next up for the organisation is UFC 265 which is set to go off at the Toyota Center in Houston on August 7th. Top of the bill is a heavyweight battle between Derrick Lewis and Cyril Gane while fight fans can also look forward to a women’s championship bantamweight bout between Amanda Nunes and Julianna Pena.
It’s a full card and asiabet will publish odds for each of the bouts listed on the bill. News and opinion articles relating to MMA and UFC will also be posted on the site. Finally, if anyone wants to take their interest a step further, a panel of sportsbooks are available, many of whom list generous welcome deals. Those bookmakers will also supply a choice of payment options along with a secure platform and fast customer service.
Conor McGregor was never going to be a part of UFC 265 as it follows on so quickly from his battle with Dustin Poirier. The question is, whether he will be a part of any of the organisation’s big fight nights moving forward.
Options out of the Octagon
If Conor McGregor returns to full fighting fitness, there will be no shortage of offers if he decides to move away from UFC. A drop down to one of the lesser MMA organizations seems unlikely so the Irishman may well consider a change of sport.
We know that he’s not averse to stepping into the boxing ring. A much publicized fight against undefeated champion Floyd Mayweather ended in a predictable defeat back in 2017 but this remains an option for McGregor. YouTuber and occasional boxer Jake Paul has already called out the MMA man, putting $50 million on the table to fight him.
Paul’s offer came in December 2020 when McGregor had no injury issues but the prospect of a boxing match between the two remains.
Elsewhere, the showbiz world of professional wrestling may come calling. Several WWE fighters are keen to tackle the MMA man after Notorious made some provocative comments on social media.
The possible issue here is that McGregor is, perhaps, a little too confrontational. While Tyson Fury may be able to carry off the role of a wrestling pantomime villain, there may just be too much of an edge with the MMA fighter.
A return to professional sport is some way off for a man who is nursing broken bones and damaged pride. However, Conor McGregor has never lost two UFC fights in a row and ‘Notorious’ is very much at a crossroads in his career.