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Are the UFC diluting Conor McGregor's achievements to keep him fighting?

Conor McGregor's signature achievement of holding two UFC titles simultaneously is slowing being ...



Are the UFC diluting Conor McG...
Other Sports

Are the UFC diluting Conor McGregor's achievements to keep him fighting?

Conor McGregor's signature achievement of holding two UFC titles simultaneously is slowing being diluted as now both Daniel Cormier and Amanda Nunes join the Dubliner in the promotion's annals.

TJ Dillashaw will have the opportunity to join the vaunted trio when he takes on Henry Cejudo for the flyweight title on 20th January - despite the division being apparently on the verge of dissolution.

Historically, the UFC never let a fighter hold a belt and challenge for another title - think the GSP and Anderson Silva saga - but the promotion finally relented when Conor McGregor demanded he be given the opportunity to do so in 2016.

The Irishman's meteoric rise and ability to consistently draw huge PPV numbers gave him unprecedented bargaining power to shape his MMA career like no other fighter in history.

McGregor is rich beyond his wildest dreams after a boxing fight with Floyd Mayweather in 2017 and can pick and choose when, and if, he fights again.

There wasn't a simultaneous title holder for the first 23 years of the UFC and now we are on the verge of a 4th in three years.

The Dubliner's ability to direct his career as he sees fit gives the promotion a slight headache. There will always be a third showdown with Nate Diaz while a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov is also on the table further down the line but given the dominance of the Dagestani's win at UFC 229 in October, a move to welterweight for the Irishman might be the UFC's plan for McGregor.

He will always be the first person to hold two titles in the UFC at once but he is no longer on his own in that bracket. The chance to take on welterweight king Tyron Woodley and add a third divisional title to his MMA legacy, and be the first fighter to do so, might tempt him to fight again soon.

 

 

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Boxing Conor McGregor Floyd Mayweather Khabib Nurmagomedov Mma Tyron Woodley Ufc