Getty Conor McGregor.
UFC superstar Conor McGregor is expected to make his comeback in early 2023 and got suggested to take on Jorge Masvidal in his return.
Former two-division champion McGregor has been in recovery from a horrific leg break injury he suffered in his last outing against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in Jul. 2021. He recently got back to training in all facets of mixed martial arts, reported his coach John Kavanagh.
While there is still no concrete timeline, McGregor got linked with a few notable names for his return. Fan favorite Nate Diaz was expected to complete his trilogy fight in McGregor’s return but got ruled out after he fought out his contract with the promotion to become a free agent off a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 last month,
Henry Cejudo, former UFC two-division champion, shared his thoughts on McGregor coming back to competition at welterweight and suggested the top five opponents he believes McGregor should fight next.
“Number one, Jorge Masvidal,” Cejudo said in a video uploaded to his YouTube channel. “This is a good fight for Conor McGregor. Why? Its because there’s really no grappling involved. You want guys that can strike and want to strike, that don’t want to grapple. Plus, Jorge Masvidal hasn’t won a fight, he’s on a three-fight losing streak. But I think Jorge Masvidal would be the best return for him at 170 pounds. They both have a mouthpiece just imagine how many pay-per-views they could sell.”
Cejudo Suggested the Five Best Choices for McGregor
With Diaz out of the UFC, a third bout with McGregor would be unlikely in the near future unless the Stockton native decides to re-sign with the promotion. ‘Triple C’ believes McGregor has a good chance of challenging for the 170-pound gold against the winner of the likely trilogy fight between former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman and the reigning division king Leon Edwards.
“Number two, I’m going to have to go with the winner of Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards. If there’s one thing that Conor McGregor has, he’s on that special Dana White’s privilege list. He has the ability to maybe even catch the winner if he plays his cards right and one of them calls him out. I know they would all want to call him out because it’s a huge payday.”
Cejudo further suggested Kevin Holland, Paddy Pimblett, and Colby Covington as the most suitable choices for McGregor’s return.
McGregor Wants To Fight Usman
‘The Notorious’ talked about wanting to take on Usman for the welterweight title in his comeback. However, that was before Usman got dethroned by Edwards, so his plans may need some tinkering.
“Myself versus Usman for the 170-pound title in my comeback fight is the one I’m eyeballing at the minute,” McGregor said via ESPN. “Why cut the weight? I’ve already won the 155-pound title. I got myself to a lightweight frame, but you know, I’m big now. I feel big. I feel strong. I feel healthy. I’ve got good energy. I’m coming back from a gruesome injury. I don’t want to be depleting myself. There should be no need to deplete myself.
“And I feel confident against Usman — a jab-happy, sloppy, orthodox wrestler with no submissions whatsoever. What’s he going to do? Where’s the danger here? I don’t see danger. … No one has ever obtained three titles in three divisions like I will do if we make this fight.”