Is Conor McGregor retired? The former lightweight champion has been sending all sorts of mixed signals regarding retirement on social media, but the general consensus among those in the sport is that he will eventually return to the Octagon. The question is when?
UFC president Dana White was recently asked about McGregor's next fight, suggesting it won't be until after September when the dust has settled from two upcoming blockbuster fights.
"We got a deal done with Khabib. He will be taking on Dustin Poirier, Saturday, Sept. 7, in Abu Dhabi, UAE," White told ESPN, referring to the recently announced title fight that will take place at UFC 242 in Abu Dhabi on September 7.
But before that, we have another lightweight fight that'll have huge implications on the division. Tony Ferguson and Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone will fight each other at UFC 238 this weekend in a match that will likely determine Conor McGregor's next fight.
"All these guys have been fighting. This thing is gonna play out this weekend and then Sept. 7 in Abu Dhabi and then we'll figure out what's next for Conor," White said
Many believe the winner of this weekend's fight will determine who is next in line to challenge the champion (the winner of Khabib-Poirier). McGregor is the wild card here. His superstar status and ability to sell pay-per-view means he could very well jump the winner of Ferguson-Cerrone to fight Khabib, should Khabib beat Poirier.
"Conor wants that fight. Conor wants the rematch with Khabib," add White, who wouldn't rule out the rematch despite McGregor's poor performance in the first fight with Khabib.
It sounds like regardless of who wins at UFC 238, McGregor would have first dibs on a title fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov. However, if Poirier surprises people and beats Khabib, then it's possible the UFC would opt for a title fight between the winner of Ferguson-Cerrone. If Cerrone loses, then that would set him up with a highly anticipated fight with McGregor. If both Khabib and Cerrone lose, then things get even more interesting. There are plenty of ways the lightweight division could play out, and it'll be fun to follow along.