It might not be so easy though.
According to Ariel Helwani of MMAFighting.com, the UFC want Eddie Alvarez to defend his lightweight title against Conor McGregor in the main event of UFC 205 in New York City on November 12th. According to Helwani, there is just one obstacle in the way from the UFC announcing the fight and speculation suggests that seems to be the UFC pressuring McGregor to relinquish the featherweight title he won from José Aldo last December.
Main event for UFC 205 still not set. One big domino needs to fall and then they can move along, but it hasn't just yet. Interesting times.
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2016
I would classify that as the top "choice" but very far from a done deal. Lots of moving parts at the moment. https://t.co/UZxePQDjIM
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 9, 2016
Prior to McGregor's second bout with Nate Diaz last month, UFC president Dana White said that McGregor would have to defend his 145lb title next or risk the title being stripped. José Aldo is currently the number one contender in the UFC's featherweight division and the current holder of the division's interim title.
If McGregor is forced to relinquish his title it would presumably end the Irishman's quest to become the first fighter to hold two titles in two different weight classes simultaneously, something that he has been chasing since he signed his first UFC contract.
A title bout with the new lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez would soften the blow considerably. Alvarez has joined the ever-expanding list of fighters who have called out the Dubliner, going so far as to tell Helwani during a recent interview that McGregor would pose no problems for him.
In a sparring room, there's always a guy, we call him the rest round.[McGregor is] the rest round. He's the guy you grab when you're super tired and you go, ‘Hey, c'mon man, let's do a round.'
He comes to our gym and trains, he's the rest round. For everyone, not just me. For Frankie [Edgar], for Edson [Barboza], for Marlon [Moraes]. For any one of us.
A title fight in New York City would harvest incredible interest from the local Irish community. Alvarez, too, has significant support in his home city of Philadelphia and matching up the Irish and Philly fans would provide another interesting wrinkle to the potential fight - not that any McGregor fight needs much extra promotion nowadays.
UFC 205 will be the first modern UFC show to be held in New York since a ban prohibiting professional mixed martial arts from taking place in the state was lifted earlier this year. Rashad Evans vs Tim Kennedy, Donald Cerrone vs Robbie Lawler and Chris Weidman vs Yoel Romero are bouts that are also expected to take place.
