Now that Conor McGregor has replenished his UFC record with a restoriative victory over Nate Diaz, the reigning Featherweight champion is plotting his next move to keep things on track.
Coach John Kavanagh has revealed that Eddie Alvarez and a rematch against Jose Aldo, are among the front running options for the Crumlin fighter, with a final decision expected upon McGregor's return to Ireland in the coming days.
A win against the reigning Lightweight champion, would see McGregor advance in his quest to hold two UFC belts simultaneously. That would put him in esteemed company, alongside MMA legends BJ Penn and Randy Couture, who have previously achieved that feat.
Current UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping forsees devastating results for McGregor if he pursues the Alvarez bout. He told the Daily Star that the American would 'take him down and destroy him.' But 'The Notorious' has never been daunted by the words of critics in the past and given that he survived the re-examination at 170Ibs, dropping down to 155Ibs will be an assignment he will feel confident about.
According to Coach Kavanagh, negotiations with Alvarez have already begun:
"It’s a pretty straightforward fight for Conor to be honest. Will he get it? I can tell you that we’re in talks. It will be decided whether they are going to go with that fight within days."
Conor McGregor when he hears Eddie Alvarez comment that he's going to expose him like Santa Clause pic.twitter.com/qm99HD7AtA
— Matthew (@matthewmyersmma) September 7, 2016
If he does decide to take his next fight in the lightweight division, he will have to vacate his Featherweight title. He previously refused to adhere to that caveat when he first started tinkering with the two-division champion idea. But Coach Kavanagh has come out to say that they will obey that ruling.
"I think that’s a given. I guess, the little bit of consolation Conor will take from that is that it will be two guys he has beaten fighting for the vacant featherweight title.
However, the unfinished business with Jose Aldo may prove to be sufficient motivation to return to the Featherweight class and renew his superiorty.
Some might even argue that Aldo deserves his rematch, given the length of his reign in the Featherweight division before McGregor unseated him.
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