Getty Conor McGregor celebrates his first round TKO victory as he exits the arena against Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout during UFC246 at T-Mobile Arena on January 18, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Another day, another fighter calling out recently retired Conor “Notorious” McGregor. On June 6, McGregor announced that he was retiring from the sport of mixed martial arts, but that hasn’t stopped some fighters from picking a fight with the Irishman. Last week, former Lightweight Champion Rafael dos Anjos threw his name out as a potential match for Notorious.
On Monday morning, former interim Lightweight Champion and the No. 2 ranked fighter in the division, Tony “El Cucuy” Ferguson, shared a compilation video on social media aimed at Notorious. The video was filled with memes of McGregor and Tony, including an image of Ferguson as the grim reaper pointing at the Irishman.
In the caption of the post, Ferguson wrote “Mcnugget Monday,” his most well-known nickname for Notorious. Here is the video:
McGregor is currently ranked fourth at lightweight, so from a rankings standpoint, a fight between the two men makes a lot of sense. However, McGregor cited one of his reasons for retiring as not being excited about any of the options for his next opponent, which would include Ferguson. Should Notorious decide to fight again — and many fans, fighters and analysts believe he will — a match with Ferguson would be an exciting affair that could produce the next title contender in the lightweight division.
McGregor has long been on Ferguson’s hit list. Watch Ferguson call out Notorious after winning the interim lightweight title when the Irishman was the lightweight champ:
Current lightweight champ Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov and interim lightweight champ Justin “The Highlight” Gaethje will presumably be scheduled to unify the belt sometime in the fall.
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Ferguson Last Stepped Into the Octagon on May 9 for UFC 249, Losing to Gaethje
El Cucuy and The Highlight fought in the main event of UFC 249 for the interim lightweight title on May 9. It was an exciting affair, with the match predominately taking place on the feet. Both men had successful moments in the fight, including Ferguson landing a ferocious uppercut at the end of the second round which stunned The Highlight.
However, an unshaken Gaethje dominated most of the striking with ruthless power, ultimately stopping El Cucuy in the fifth round. It was Ferguson’s first defeat since 2012, and his 12-fight win streak was snapped.
Even though he took a loss, Ferguson showed incredible grit and heart, and his stock in the division is still very high. If he could earn a victory over McGregor, either at lightweight or welterweight, El Cucuy would likely be next in line for a title shot.
McGregor Retired on the Night of UFC 250
For the third time in five years, Notorious retired from fighting. He announced his retirement on Twitter mere minutes after Amanda “The Lioness” Nunes defended her featherweight strap in the main event of UFC 250 on June 6.
McGregor wrote, “Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting. Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!”
Hey guys I’ve decided to retire from fighting.
Thank you all for the amazing memories! What a ride it’s been!
Here is a picture of myself and my mother in Las Vegas post one of my World title wins!
Pick the home of your dreams Mags I love you!
Whatever you desire it’s yours ❤️
If Notorious truly decides to hang up his gloves for good, he will retire with a 22-4 pro record and three UFC titles on his mantle, the interim featherweight belt, featherweight belt and lightweight belt.
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