WHAT’S NEXT FOR CONOR?
After becoming the first dual champion in UFC history, many fans wonder which fight Conor McGregor will take next. McGregor’s longtime striking coach Owen Roddy weighed in on potential options for the future
In an interview with MMA Hour, Roddy discussed which fights he’d like to see McGregor involved in next and the appeal of a third title. “Maybe Woodley?” Roddy said. “For me, for him to go up and go for three belts, maybe Woodley. But Diaz again, as well, is another great one because I think it’s what fans would want to see. They want to see something special again. The Diaz fight again is special. The Woodley fight is special.”
He also commented on a potential bout with perennial contender Khabib Nurmagomedov and praised his abilities, but questions his drawing power. “You can’t really doubt Khabib at this stage now,” Roddy said. “He’s a phenomenal grappler, a phenomenal wrestler, but I don’t know whether the excitement is there. Obviously for Conor, it’s about the pay-per-views, about the money. Whether Khabib will hit the pay-per-views for him, I don’t know. But he’s definitely there, thereabouts, and he poses a different threat, so it would be good to try and work out the strikes that are going to land on him.”
Regardless of who McGregor fights next, Roddy feels all options available will make for competitive and entertaining bouts. “They’re the three names I suppose: Khabib, Woodley, because it would be just insane, like, can you imagine the excitement of that, that would be crazy, and then obviously you can’t argue with the Nate fight again.”
McGregor has said he will not fight until after his wife gives birth to their first child early next year.
Cervantes Analysis: It’ll be interesting to see which division McGregor chooses to fight in, assuming the UFC remains firm on their decision to allow him to keep just one belt. Personally, I’d like to see McGregor vs. Nurmagomedov because it would be a phenomenal matchup given their styles and their respective dominance in recent bouts. Still, a matchup with any of the fighters that Roddy mentioned wouldn’t disappoint and I’m eager to see which route the UFC will take.
FRIDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-Anthony Johnson voiced his support for Daniel Cormier via Twitter after Cormier pulled out of their UFC 206 bout.
-Demian Maia told MMAJunkie that if he doesn’t receive the next title shot, he’d like to fight Donald Cerrone or Anderson Silva.
-Miesha Tate said she hopes to transition to promoting events or becoming an analyst for Fox, as reported by MMAJunkie.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: THURSDAY NEWS DIGEST 11/24: If Khabib can’t get Conor, he wants a shot at an Interim Championship (w/HIscoe’s Analysis)
(MMATorch’s Daily News Digest features the top story of the day with added analysis, plus smaller tidbits in the News Notes section. Mike Hiscoe, who writes the News Digest Sundays through Thursdays, has a background in film criticism and previously wrote for the DVD Town and Movie Metropolis websites. His passion for Mixed Martial Arts goes back to 2005, but it was in the promotion for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie that he really got hooked.”This is my house, I build it,” is still among the all-time great UFC promos. You can follow Mike on social media under the tag @mikehiscoe. He now provides his experienced writing and perspective on live MMA events for MMATorch.)
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