Dennis Hogan offers to defend IBO welterweight crown against compatriot Conor McGregor in Ireland clash
Newly minted undisputed IBO super welterweight champion, Dennis Hogan has offered to defend his crown against compatriot and former two-division UFC champion, Conor McGregor next – in an Irish homecoming for the Newcastle resident.
Clinching his first world championship in professional boxing last month, Kildare native, Hogan managed to secure the undisputed IBO super welterweight championship with a majority decision win over Sam Eggington in Newcastle, Australia.
The victory came as Hogan’s third on the trot, after the veteran suffered a trio of championship challenge losses against Jaime Munguia, Jermall Charlo, and then Tim Tszyu.
As for Conor McGregor, the recently turned 34-year-old UFC star, has been sidelined from professional mixed martial arts since July of last year, fracturing his left tibia and fibula en route to a first round doctor’s stoppage TKO loss against Dustin Poirier.
The Crumlin native has boxed just once professionally – suffering a tenth round TKO loss against former multiple-time and weight world champion, Floyd Mayweather in an August 2017 superfight in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Conor McGregor has recently expressed an interest in a return to boxing
Noting his interest in a return to the squared circle, as well as maintaining he will clinch the world championship in the sport, McGregor appears to have been offered an opportunity to at least challenge for a title – in the form of a fight with Kildare striker, Hogan.
“We have been in touch with both ‘Spike’ (Gary O’Sullivan) and Conor’s (McGregor) team,” Dennis Hogan’s manager, Steve Scanlan told IrishBoxing.com during a recent interview. “‘Spike’s’ team will move heaven and earth to make this fight, so that is a much easier fight to happen but we are just working through everything.”
“If we don’t fight Conor, which obviously is a long shot, but crazier things have happened, then we will 100% be fighting ‘Spike’ in Ireland,” Scanlan continued.
Conor McGregor is expected to make a return to the UFC next year ahead of a return to the welterweight limit to boot, however, promotional president, Dana White also confirmed recently how the Dubliner must first complete a period of 6 months within the USADA anti-doping testing pool before he makes an Octagon walk.
