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The Future of Conor McGregor is Full of Question Marks

Conor McGregor will fight again–but when?
Justin Barrasso|
The Future of Conor McGregor is Full of Question Marks
The Future of Conor McGregor is Full of Question Marks

Conor McGregor has become more of a brand than a fighter.

But that does not mean he won’t fight again.

McGregor was center stage last night at The O2 Arena in London for the boxing card headlined by Anthony Joshua and Robert Helenius. A ball of fury, McGregor was shadow boxing ringside, conducting an-ring interview and insulting KSI (“He couldn’t box eggs if he worked in an egg boxing factory”), and even challenging KSI for a bare knuckle bout.

None of that, of course, has to do with his future in the UFC, where has not competed since 2021.

Yet that was also discussed. While sitting ringside, McGregor conducted an interview and laid out his future MMA plans, which include:

-- First, he’ll fight Michael Chandler in December, finishing their feud from The Ultimate Fighter

-- Then, McGregor wants a BMF bout against Justin Gaethje

-- Finally, McGregor said, he’ll finish the trilogy against Nate Diaz

How much of that is likely to happen?

McGregor has yet to be officially listed in the USADA testing pool, which should have happened months ago for him to be eligible to compete this December. Yet McGregor is still talking about a fight in December–rumored to be December 30–against Chandler.

A bout against Chandler remains the most likely fight to happen for McGregor. This includes bare knuckle boxing, boxing, and any other combat sport he finds appealing. There is too much money riding on the bout for it not to happen, especially considering all the promotion the UFC spent on this season of The Ultimate Fighter, where McGregor and Chandler are coaches.

The Gaethje fight seems unlikely, though there is a caveat. If Gaethje wins the lightweight title, there is no reason for him to defend the ceremonial BMF belt. But, if he loses in a title fight to either Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira, then there is no bigger opponent than McGregor. That is a pay-per-view headline bout, and though the BMF belt is not a real title, it adds to the pomp and circumstance of the fight.

Finally, the trilogy with Diaz is also likely to take place. Even though he was pieced apart by Jake Paul in boxing, there is still value for Diaz in the cage–particularly against the right opponent. The trilogy fight against McGregor is the most significant bout left in his career, and that could also be the case for McGregor if he loses to Chandler and Gaethje.

As for what comes next, it is still undetermined whether McGregor will be in Boston next weekend for UFC 292, though the UFC would be thrilled to have him present for the finals of The Ultimate Fighter. If he is fighting McGregor in four months, that announcement–and USADA explanation–will have to be made soon.

But nothing is certain. Just when we think we have the answers, McGregor has a knack for changing the questions.

Justin Barrasso can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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