Who will Conor McGregor fight next in the UFC?

From settling old rivalries to selling out stadiums in Russia, there’s plenty of options on the plate for Conor McGregor

After his brief foray into the world of boxing, it appears Conor McGregor is edging ever closer to a return to the UFC.

It’s been 16 months since McGregor last stepped into the octagon. Back then he knocked out Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 becoming a two-division champ. Now, it seems the fighter's hiatus could be coming to an end. 

“I am fighting again. Period,” the Irishman said in a recent social media post.

But who will McGregor fight if - or should that be when - he does make a comeback?

The BBC MMA Show podcast‘s Dan Hardy and Nick Peet have run the rule over the Irishman's potential opponents, how likely the fights are to happen, and who they think would come out on top?

Nick Peet: It all depends on Ferguson’s performance against Khabib Nurmagomedov. Tony Ferguson is a great trash talker and if he puts in a big performance against Khabib, there will be no other name on his lips other than McGregor.

Right here, right now, if Conor McGregor steps into the octagon with Tony Ferguson fresh off the back of a sensational win over Khabib - and that’s the only way this fight happens – I would go with Tony Ferguson to win that fight.

I think he’s one of the most under-appreciated guys on the UFC roster. If you speak to anyone who’s shared a mat with Tony Ferguson, they will tell you he’s different class – he’s got it in every department.

With Conor being out of the sport for so long, I think Ferguson would give him a good hiding to be honest.

Chances of it happening: 6 out of 10

Dan Hardy: This is the most likely MMA fight for Conor McGregor in my opinion and it would be massive. It would be the more hyped than if he fought anybody else - more hyped than if he fought Paulie Malignaggi, Tony Ferguson or Floyd Mayweather again.

There’s a lot of anticipation to see Nate Diaz come back as well so that plays a big part of it. The trash talk would be amazing - 10/10.

I think it’s the biggest draw Conor McGregor could get in MMA, and even though the box office won’t compare to his Mayweather purse, I think it can get up there and be the highest paid mixed martial arts fight ever.

I think Diaz wears McGregor down and beats him up over 25 minutes to get a decision win.

Chances of it happening: 8/9 out of 10

NP: Outside of a Nate Diaz rematch, this has got to be the number one MMA fight for McGregor - certainly from a financial standpoint.

I think the advantage would have to go with GSP, but both these guys have been inactive for long periods and I think GSP’s takedown game would probably take over, but Conor is Conor and he generally finds a way to win.

I think GSP would start strong but I would fancy Conor to come back and catch him. I’d go for a late finish for Conor McGregor, just because I’m romantic like that.

DH: I think it’s the most difficult and probably the worst fight for McGregor to have out of the ones that were taking about. I think it’d be a strategic mauling for GSP over McGregor.

Chances of it happening: 7 out of 10

DH: I think McGregor is going to want to come back and get his belt back, and out of Ferguson and Khabib, I’m leaning towards Khabib.

If he steps in there with Khabib, it’s going to be a horrible night for him and he’s not going to prove anything except that he needs more wrestling in his game.

You’ve got to think about the amount of eyes across Russia that will be watching their hero going up against the biggest sports star on the planet. You can imagine Conor though, if the fight was in Russia, walking out and saying, “I own Russia.”

Khabib just walks forward because he’s got many fights into his career without being knocked out or beaten. I think there’s a good opportunity for Conor to win in the first rounds but if we see eight or nine minutes on the clock, then it’s just a bludgeoning from Khabib I think.

Chances of it happening: 8 out of 10

NP: I just don’t see Conor getting back down to 145lbs again.

I think it would be a great fight and I thought their first fight (in 2013) was great, but Holloway was a different animal back then and since then he’s been undefeated, tearing his way to the title.

I would go with Conor to win, just because of his size and skills, but the only way I see this fight happening is at 155lbs.

Chances of it happening: 2 out of 10

DH: In MMA, there’s no way that Floyd Mayweather is stepping in an octagon against anybody other than CM Punk. It would not be a fair fight.

He would be embarrassed and so many people would tune in because they’ve been waiting to see him get beat in boxing, which never happened.

The hype would be good but I don’t think it’d have the same kind of weight that the first fight had because there was still a lot of mystic about how Conor McGregor would do in a boxing ring.

There’s no real question as to how Floyd Mayweather would do in MMA – he’d probably break his hands putting the gloves on.

Conor would low kick him, Floyd would go down on the knee and Conor would choke him out.

Chance of it happening: 0 out of 10

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