Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since losing to Dustin Poirier in 2021 but the UFC icon is lining up potential opponents to mark his long-awaited return which is set to come in 2025
Conor McGregor went full… well, Conor McGregor as he called out Floyd Mayweather, KSI and long-time UFC rival Nate Diaz in a series of explosive rants.
McGregor, 36, is preparing for his return to the octagon in 2025, having pulled out of this year’s UFC 303 clash against Michael Chandler with a broken toe. Despite wanting to fight Chandler at some point, the Irishman seems to be planning for other opponents; the three aforementioned big names.
Currently in Marbella ahead of the Bark-Knuckle Fighting Championship card on Saturday, McGregor was asked by JNMEDIAUK about potentially fighting Mayweather in a bare-knuckle match, having already boxed back in 2017. BKFC founder Dave Feldman has already up talked up the prospect of the two icons locking horns once again.
“Floyd, you little pussycat! You’re doing back conversations trying to get boxing fights at 155lbs,” McGregor bellowed. “Fight me at my weight! I’m the A-side [and] you owe me! Bare-knuckle – McGregor vs Mayweather [at] 170lbs, let’s go baby – take off the gloves and fight b****!
“It’s happening, I’m trapping him in the corner, we have you trapped in the corner.”
Then it was on to Diaz, who beat McGregor at UFC 196 in 2016 before losing in the pair’s rematch later that year. “It has to be in MMA, mixed martial arts in the UFC; we are 1-1, we do MMA with Nate.”
In a separate interview with Misfits Boxing, which KSI is the CEO of, McGregor called out the YouTube-turned-boxer. In response to a question about whether we could see a fight against KSI, the 36-year-old turned to the camera and said: “Let’s go, man. I’ll fight him for that bull**** song he released alone”
He was referencing KSI’s new single, Thick Of It, which has been panned across social media.
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McGregor recently opened up on his plans to return to fighting next year. His first opponent likely wouldn’t be Chandler, though, as he’s due to fight Charles Oliveira in November. “We’re looking for the date,” he told The Schmo.
“I’d like to square it away with Michael Chandler. You know, I’d like to get Chandler in. We’ve had our beef. It’s not settled. He has a match scheduled. I would like to fight before he’s recovered. There’s a few names in the line at the minute. There’s a few names being discussed.”
Alongside the unfinished business that he has with Diaz, Dustin Poirier is another rival whihc he’d like to settle a score with. “Both of them,” McGregor added. “It’s a must, for sure. The Dustin one is not settled, it’s 1-1-1. And the Diaz one is also 1-1. Two big blockbuster matches and I’m excited to get them locked in.”
