Dustin Poirier reacts after his knockout victory over Conor McGregor of Ireland in a lightweight fight during the UFC 257 event inside Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 23, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
The future of Conor McGregor in UFC is cast in a shadow of doubt after UFC 257 loss
The main event at UFC 257 last saw Dustin Poirier take his revenge on Conor McGregor for their UFC 178 bout all the way back in 2014.
Poirier won via TKO and undoubtedly put himself first in line for a shot at the lightweight belt. The future of his losing opponent, however, seems uncertain.
McGregor stated his intent after the fight to fight again and complete a trilogy. Other UFC lightweight fighters would undoubtedly agree with that.
Fighters like Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira would think they deserve their shot with The Diamond.
Speaking to Helen Lee on her YouTube channel, Javier Mendez, Khabib’s coach, believes that Conor McGregor “can ride his own chips”.
He answered this in response to Yee speculating who The Notorious One’s next opponent could be. Mendez added McGregor is still a star and his future is in his own hands.
“His name is still huge. I think he can whatever he wants. He doesn’t have no options, he has all the options. How can you deny him, look at the way he sells, he sells as much as he does.”
Mendez then added that he is not a fan of McGregor, but he acknowledges how the Irishman is still one of the most famous fighters in the UFC.
“Do I like him as a person? No, not really. But you have got to respect the star power. He has got a lot of star power.”
McGregor’s next opponent is anyone’s guess. However, Mendez is right when he implies that McGregor’s star power gives him the options to pick whoever he wants inside the ring.
And, if it was left up to the Irishman, he would undoubtedly want a rematch with Dustin Poirier. Or so we think.
However, there are others who could get a crack at McGregor too. Nate Diaz vs McGregor is a huge trilogy and that score is also 1-1.
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