With Conor McGregor's long awaited return to the octagon set to end, it seems the Dubliner is already looking beyond his October 6th showdown with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
McGregor took an interview with MMA journalist Andrew McGahern for his news outlet The Mac Life, and revealed that he was initially hesitant about potentially having to fight Anthony Pettis and Tony Ferguson should Nurmagomedov pull out of UFC 229:
I've been already mapping out what I want to do next, I know there's Pettis and Ferguson is in the co-main. Originally a month or two ago when that was announced as co-main I was like 'man, if Khabib bottles this fight like he has bottled many fights before, if he bottles this one... I don't think I give a fuck about those other two, no disrespect to those other two, I don't give a fuck about those other two to step in, I think I probably would have just disappeared back into the shadows and got that man somewhere else.
Looking to the future, McGregor appeared to point to three potential match ups that would intrigue him including the winner of Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier, with a trilogy fight with Diaz a matchup that has been much touted by McGregor in the past:
I'm already mapping out what's next in my head, I know Dustin and Nate is competing, I know the 170 pound belt has also been defended, I know Tyron the current welterweight champion is itching for that one, like they all fucking are. I know Georges (St Pierre) is in there test cutting at 155. I know everyone is around looking. But I'm here and I'm ready and I've got my eye on everyone.
A match against either Georges St. Pierre or Tyron Woodley would both be massive fights to make for the UFC, with the prospect of McGregor holding a belt in another weight division or going up against St. Pierre both tantalising options.
GSP has spoken about the possibility of fighting McGregor before, telling the MMA Hour back in March that although McGregor would be the best fight to take from a financial standpoint, a 'legacy fight' is what interests him the most:
The thing is, Conor McGregor, money-wise, I believe is the one that can put the most money on the table. However, I think legacy-wise, I don’t think he’s the guy that legacy-wise.
I mean, money-wise, for people who are not huge fans of MMA, they know who Conor McGregor is. He’s the main guy, he’s the guy who brought the sport to a different level. He’s, I would say, the most charismatic guy. He sells, the biggest seller in the sport. But talk about legacy. If I come back for legacy, that’s what interests me the most, more than the money. Money, yes, it’s good, but if I come back, it would be more for a legacy match.
