Now that the ongoing battle between dual-weight contenders Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz has reached a standstill and the UFC doesn’t seem too interested in booking a trilogy bout, speculation about the Irishman’s next opponent has made its way into the headlines, and some intriguing options have surfaced.
Among the names already mentioned, newly-crowned UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez leads the list following an impressive, opening-round knockout victory over Rafael dos Anjos to claim the 155-pound title on July 7, and a meeting with the former Bellator champion would provide McGregor with an opportunity that was lost through no fault of his own.
Just 11 days before his scheduled shot at history in a lightweight title fight against dos Anjos that could’ve made McGregor the first to simultaneously hold two UFC titles, the Brazilian went down with a broken foot, and as a result, the McGregor-Diaz beef was born.
@Ealvarezfight Thanks for wearing our suit and once again, Congratulations!!! #Phillychamp pic.twitter.com/4OKYgdiGi5
— Domenico (@DomenicoFW) July 26, 2016
With every combatant of consequence hoping to hook onto the McGregor money train, Alvarez’ decision to target the Irishman since claiming the 155-pound crown comes as no surprise. But the strategy that he’s employed to lure McGregor into a lucrative showdown is another story.
Rather than attempting to convince the UFC brass to book a bout between himself and the current featherweight king by arguing that a meeting with McGregor is what fight fans want most, Alvarez has chosen good old fashioned crazy as his approach.
”I would ask UFC president Dana White, ‘Please give me an easier fight like Conor McGregor,”’ Alvarez told amused members of the media gathered at the post-fight press conference via ESPN . ”I deserve that. I’ve been fighting the best guys, so I would like a gimme fight. So, Conor, I’d more than welcome that.”
So why does Alvarez think that a bout versus McGregor would be an easy night at the office? He provided an interesting explanation a few moments later.
”Look, there’s a lot of guys in the UFC who are good at one thing, and they get matched up stylistically well,” said Alvarez. ”They make their way to the top without ever going against the true best guys in the division. They sneak their way around them, and they live off perception, not what really is. [McGregor] is one of them. I think he can get found out. If he were ever to fight Rafael dos Anjos or to fight myself, he’d get found out very quickly.”
It’s not official but here’s the opening odds for McGregor vs. Alvarez. @TheNotoriousMMA @Ealvarezfight https://t.co/Dppo3Af7qp
— bjpenndotcom (@bjpenndotcom) August 25, 2016
Despite a respected resume that includes fights under the Bodog, Dream, K-1, and Bellator banners, a unanimous-decision loss to Donald Cerrone in Alvarez’ UFC debut immediately caused his critics to come out of the woodwork and claim that the seasoned vet didn’t belong in the sport’s leading promotion.
But that was two years ago, and Alvarez has come roaring back with three straight high-quality wins over career-contender Gilbert Melendez, former lightweight champ Anthony Pettis, and dos Anjos since. Adding McGregor to that list would give Alvarez one of the most impressive four-fight runs in UFC history, and the Irishman’s camp is obviously interested in challenging for the lightweight title.
A few days after guiding his star pupil to a welterweight win over Diaz, SBG coach John Kavanagh took to Twitter to address the rumors regarding a potential McGregor-Alvarez match-up.
”Don’t know what’s next,” began the two-part post. ”Decision made over next two weeks I’d imagine. Personally I’d like the [1]55 title…….but we’ll see what happens. [McGregor’s] leg is fine. In theory [McGregor’s leg] could be ready for NY [New York’s first UFC card in November] but nothing definite.”
1 – dont know whats next. decision made over the next 2 weeks i’d imagine. personally i’d like 55 title….but we’ll see what happens.
— Coach JK (@John_Kavanagh) August 24, 2016
Although Kavanagh sounds confident that McGregor’s left foot and ankle will be ready for the UFC’s first card in New York at UFC 205 on November 12, the Irishman received a medical suspension following his victory over Diaz that could last as long as six months.
If McGregor is cleared by an orthopedic doctor at his evaluation on October 20, he could technically fight at UFC 205. But either way, he’s not even allowed to train with contact until October 5, and after McGregor lost to Diaz without a full training camp in March, Kavanagh isn’t likely to allow the featherweight champ to fight with anything but complete preparation considering what would be on the line against either Alvarez or Jose Aldo.
Other than Alvarez, Aldo has done everything in his power to earn the right to a McGregor rematch by defeating Frankie Edgar at July’s UFC 200 and claiming the division’s interim title. And yes, there’s an almost nonexistent chance that the SBG standout could meet Diaz again, or even be chosen to welcome welterweight great Georges St. Pierre back to the Octagon. But don’t hold your breath.
Barring disaster, injury, and Octagon drama, McGregor is most likely to chose a date with Alvarez because of what that victory would mean to his legacy and continued status as pop culture’s pound-for-pound king. McGregor may be forced to abandon his featherweight title, but the Irishman has been eyeing the lightweight division for months, and now is the perfect time to make his move.
[Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images]