Who’s Next? Three Biggest Fights For Conor McGregor Following UFC on FOX 17

After obliterating Jose Aldo in just 13 seconds, Conor McGregor has essentially hijacked the UFC tour bus.

The current featherweight champion has already become the face of the biggest mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion in the world. And with six knockouts through seven Octagon appearances, “The Notorious” may also be considered the UFC’s most prolific finisher.

In a time when fellow stars like Ronda Rousey, Jon Jones, Chris Weidman, and Donald Cerrone, have fallen out of the limelight one way or another, the transcendent Irishman has exclusively taken the sport to a new level. This includes record-breaking pay-per-view numbers, attracting casual fight fans worldwide, and exposing the European MMA scene like never before.

As a result, McGregor has a variety of options to consider entering 2016. From defending his 145-pound belt to moving up to lightweight, the 27-year-old is primed to make even more history this coming year.

Here are his three biggest fights moving forward, and why he should or shouldn’t take them.

Option 1: Frankie Edgar

McGregor once proclaimed that he was going to take over the UFC featherweight division and dispose of anyone and everyone standing in his way.

Well, despite his scintillating efforts against Aldo and Chad Mendes, the newly instated titleholder has yet to get past perennial contender Frankie Edgar. And considering the former lightweight champ is fresh off a first-round knockout of Mendes at The Ultimate Fighter 22 Finale, the timing is perfect for a matchup between the two.

However, it seems as if all signs are pointing towards McGregor making a run at lightweight. While admirable and understandable considering he once held the 145 and 155 pound belts in a previous promotion, the best possible fight to make is in fact with “The Answer.”

Not only does a contest with Edgar propose the unproven scenario of McGregor fighting a strong wrestler with a full training camp, but Edgar sports some of the best technical striking in all of the UFC. From pinpoint combinations to shifty footwork, the New Jersey native has dissected nearly every opponent he’s faced en route to never being finished.

So while a move up in weight would assist McGregor’s seemingly unhealthy cut as a featherweight, he has one more soul to absorb before the idea of becoming a two-division champ even enters the equation.

Option 2: Rafael dos Anjos

The UFC has never seen one fighter actively hold two separate divisional titles.

It’s a situation that would ultimately back up contenders in each weight class one way or another, but with McGregor at the helm of such a historic feat, how could the promotion ever say no?

While a move up to the lightweight division would allow the hard-hitting Irishman to focus less on cutting weight, his natural abilities would have to fend off stronger, bigger, and more experienced foe, such as current UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos.

For many people who were watching RDA defend his title for the first time in a rematch with Cerrone at UFC on FOX 17 this past Saturday, a victory for “Cowboy” over the Brazilian seemed like the best case scenario to draw McGregor up to 155. The two had exchanged banter over the past few months and would stylistically wage war.

But in emphatic fashion, dos Anjos flattened Cerrone in just 66 seconds to retain his lightweight strap. The outcome immediately stifled the possibility of McGregor testing the waters at 155 against Cerrone.

Instead, a fairly unknown Brazilian champion now stands in the way of “The Notorious” winning his second UFC title. Not only is RDA a more difficult matchup for McGregor on wrestling alone, but the marketability just isn’t going to be there for such a matchup.

That said, McGregor loves making history, setting records, and commanding the limelight no matter who graces the marquee alongside him. So for those reasons alone, facing RDA makes some sense for McGregor. It just doesn’t possess the same appeal as a tilt with Cerrone would have.

 

Option 3: Nate Diaz

There’s a reason why a lightweight showdown with Nate Diaz is McGregor’s third and least-appealing option heading into 2016.

Despite a track record full of bloody performances and crowd-pleasing action, Diaz has done nothing to deserve a matchup with the most popular and lucrative draw in the sport today. Furthermore, with only wins over Michael Johnson and Gray Maynard through his last five Octagon appearances, Diaz does not possess the recent accolades to warrant a spot opposite a UFC champion.

Obviously, based on trash talking ability and a willingness to exchange on the feet, Diaz is an attractive stylistic matchup. But at what point do you draw the line? Would McGregor actually dismiss potential fights with Edgar and RDA to fight a former welterweight with nothing to lose?

It seems unlikely.

In hindsight, it would be completely foolish of the Irishman to put everything on the line in a fight without title implications. Sure, he’d remain the featherweight champion despite a potential loss to Diaz. But would his marketability and prestige withstand the aftereffects of a defeat at the hands of a lightweight currently ranked outside of the top 10?

While a hardcore fight fan’s dream, Diaz misses the mark for a McGregor grudge match at this point in time, especially with other lightweight options like Anthony Pettis and Joseph Duffy in Ireland looming in the distance.