McGregor vs Diaz 2 was accompanied with much controversy. Two spectacular displays of athleticism were overshadowed with UFC President Dana White commenting that not only will there not be a third fight but McGregor could possibly be stripped of his belt because of having plans other than the Jose Aldo rematch.
But now Dana White has buckled. While there’s still no news regarding the buzzed about 3rd edition of Diaz and McGregor – this time on McGregor’s terms on 155 lbs, White has confirmed they won’t be stripping McGregor just yet.
Former longtime 145 pound champion Aldo holds the interim title but McGregor just doesn’t see it happening:
“It’s hard for me to get excited about that (Aldo fight), especially after his last performance,” McGregor said during his UFC 202 post-fight media scrum. “It was a decision, he didn’t go out and get it like I wanted him to get it.”
“So I don’t know. Look, we’ll see. I’m the 145-pound champion, the interim 145-pound champion is a man I KO’d in 13 seconds. I’ve got to figure out what’s next, but right now, I don’t know what’s next. There are many things in the pipeline, so sit tight.”
McGregor posted the same picture as Diaz and added a peckish caption:
Great fight, much respect.
I’ll take a heavyweight next.
White says that McGregor has a few options available to him but the 3rd fight with Diaz isn’t currently on the table:
“He’s not going to get stripped. He’s going to make a decision,” White told NBC Sports Radio recently. “He knows the Nate Diaz fight isn’t the fight to make right now.”
The rumor mill claims that McGregor might opt to face off against new lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez for his next bout with the fight taking place at New York set UFC 205.
Of course McGregor could be out until early 2017 because his victory over Diaz came at a fairly steep price. McGregor was seen limping away from the octagon and he won’t be eligible to compete until his foot and ankle are cleared by an orthopedic specialist. McGregor would be returning less than three months after the rematch with Diaz ended and considering the 166 strikes he absorbed that night, he might want to consider a little extra down time before fighting again.
Minimal suspension for McGregor is until October 20th if his leg is cleared in the mean time.
Of course there’s a possibility Rousey returns for that and a double headline with Rousey and McGregor is bound the pad the pockets of all involved with a quite a substantial amount.
