Conor McGregor is planning to have a busy fighting career next year as he sets sights on two more fights after his showdown against Donald Cerrone.
Last week, the Ultimate Fighting Championship announced McGregor’s upcoming return to the cage, following his absence in over a year.
The former two-division champion last fought in the UFC 229 headliner opposite Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Submitted in the fourth round of the main event clash, McGregor came up short on his bid to recapture the lightweight title.
On January 18, 2020, he will be making his official MMA comeback against his fellow fan-favourite as they headline the UFC 246 fight card in Las Vegas.
The Irishman is also set to fight at 170 pounds for the first time since his back-to-back fights with Nate Diaz at welterweight in 2016.
Aiming to become a more active fighter, McGregor is reportedly eyeing to appear in three UFC fights next year.
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Fighting Plans
Aside from reclaiming his lost glory, one of the reasons why McGregor wants to have a busy fighting schedule next year is to avoid getting into trouble outside the Octagon.
2019 saw the UFC superstars making headlines for the wrong reasons, which put him at the receiving end of major criticisms.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, McGregor is out to prove he is still one of the best in the sport.
”Okay, so he has laid out this plan that he wants to fight three times next year,” Helwani shared, (transcript from MMA Fighting).
“He hasn’t done that in over three years as well, so it’s a pretty lofty goal but he believes that when he is active, then he’s not getting distracted, he’s not getting in trouble, he’s very focused.”
“And people are telling me right now that they haven’t seen him this focused in a very long time.”
“We hear this a lot in the fight game, but he’s going to sleep early, he’s waking up early.”
“He wants to prove to everyone that thinks he’s shot that they are wrong.”
Khabib Rematch
After UFC 246, Helwani said McGregor wants another fight at welterweight, potentially against Jorge Masvidal or Nate Diaz, before facing Nurmagomedov in a rematch.
“He wants to fight January 18th – in fact, he wanted to fight in December but the UFC didn’t give him that opportunity,” Helwani continued.
“So he wanted to fight at the beginning of the year, then he wants to return towards spring/summer, maybe fight Jorge Masvidal or Nathan Diaz – perhaps that’s why this fight is happening at 170, to prove that he can hang with the welterweights.”
“Then he wants to fight at the end of the year against Khabib Nurmagomedov, if he is still the champion, in Moscow. He really wants to right that wrong.”
“The last fight he got submitted, he wants to right that wrong so he’s hoping that he can win those two fights, get the title fight, and then shut everyone up.”
(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Conor McGregor)