UFC Star Conor McGregor Targets Another Fight Before Possible Title Opportunity

By Rick LaFitte @RickLaFitte on October 15, 2014

 

While Conor McGregor will be in Brazil later this month to witness the featherweight title rematch between Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes at UFC 179, it certainly appears as though the charismatic competitor will fight at least one more time before getting a possible title shot.

“The Notorious” took to his Twitter account to state, as only he can, that the organization is in the process of finding his “next victim.” McGregor apparently wants to take another bout because he believes it’ll be a lengthy wait before he’ll be able to face the Aldo-Mendes winner.

McGregor’s Octagon career was taken to new heights at UFC 178 when he blasted out Dustin Poirier in the first round of what was expected to be the most difficult test of his career. He’s gone a perfect 4-0 in his UFC stint and has been fast-tracked into title contention. UFC President Dana White had recently indicated that McGregor might be the front-runner to face Aldo next as the dominant Brazilian champion has already beaten most of the top contenders during his career.

If Mendes is victorious, McGregor has already engaged in plenty of verbal sparring with “Money” and the showdown between the two would make for a must-see contest.

It’ll be intriguing to see who matchmakers decide upon for McGregor’s next assignment as most of the 145-pound division’s top fighters are currently booked. Frankie Edgar and Cub Swanson have a major showdown looming at Fight Night 57, while Dennis Bermudez and Ricardo Lamas have a date in Mexico City at UFC 180. Another solid matchup between Jeremy Stephens and Charles Oliveira is set for the TUF 20 Finale in December.

Having McGregor face the winner of any of those matchups would make for an exciting potential clash, but if he’s looking to make a relatively quick turnaround, there aren’t a lot of available options.

A pair of top-10 contenders who are currently without fights are Nik Lentz and Dennis Siver. Both are coming off wins in their last appearances. Lentz has won four of his last five fights and had been slated to face Oliveira at Fight Night 50. That rematch was scuttled when the Brazilian became ill on the day of the fight after a difficult weight cut.

McGregor and Siver have had their share of back-and-forth exchanges in the media and on Twitter, so the no. 10-ranked veteran would seem to be a very good fit. Siver recently defeated Charles Rosa by unanimous decision at Fight Night 53 in Sweden.

McGregor has been quick to make a major mark in his relatively short time with the organization. White even raised some eyebrows after the Irishman’s victory over Poirier by suggesting the McGregor phenomenon was even bigger than that of Brock Lesnar and Georges St-Pierre. While those comments were definitely over the top, it’s high praise considering those two former champions were two of the biggest PPV kings in UFC history.

It’ll be very interesting to see what comes next for McGregor in his rise up the featherweight ladder. There’s no doubt that fans will certainly be keeping tabs on his exploits. Some will be hoping to see McGregor continue his destructive, entertaining ways while others will be hoping to see the trash-talking superstar finally get humbled.

McGregor is definitely a polarizing figure, but he’s been able to back up all of his swagger so far.

Rick LaFitte is an MMA Writer for Rant Sports