"With McGregor right now – it’s a risky one. If he goes into a tune-up fight there are no gimmes, there’s no guarantees in the fight game and if he loses to them, then it’s even worse."
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Everybody appears to possess a viewpoint on who Conor McGregor may face when he returns to the UFC. Conor McGregor last appeared in the Octagon at UFC 264, when he shattered his leg near the conclusion of the first round of his trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. While recuperating from his injuries, McGregor has remained active on Twitter, calling out the best of the UFC’s crop. Following his lightweight championship triumph at UFC 262, ‘Notorious’ has now shifted his focal point to welterweight champion Kamaru Usman.
Boxing veteran ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson, who knows a thing or two about bouncing back from adversity, feels McGregor should fight a tune-up battle to grow accustomed himself to the Cage. Tyson said speaking to Henry Cejudo on The Fight Card podcast said, “I’m a strong believer that after a defeat, you should do a couple of fights to get your feet wet. Conor, I think you should build your confidence up and go do what you do: win excitingly,”
Tyson even feels that Tony Ferguson’s pursuit of a rematch with him would be a mistake. Tyson said, “That’s a tough fight, man. He’s (Ferguson) a warrior, regardless if he loses. He makes exciting fights. It’s hard to beat that guy. I want no big-time guy, let him get three fights and build his confidence back up. Every fight the opponent goes to a higher level.”
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Michael Bisping responded to Tyson’s words that McGregor should be cautious when he returns with a video on his YouTube channel. Bisping said, “I understand what Mike [Tyson] is talking about there, However, the circumstances with McGregor right now – it’s a risky one. If he goes into a tune-up fight there are no gimmes, there’s no guarantees in the fight game and if he loses to them, then it’s even worse if he was to go in let’s say against the champ, Charles Oliveira.”
Bisping makes an excellent argument. Career paths in the combat game have shifted in recent years. What used to be about clawing your way to the top and remaining there has devolved into a cash grab game about getting in and leaving with as much money as possible, win or lose. If McGregor fights a lower-level opponent, he will not only lose money, but he may also permanently harm his drawing power.
Notorious is 3-4 in his last seven fights dating back to 2016. He dipped his toe into the boxing pool against Floyd Mayweather Jr. after winning back-to-back fights over Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez. Also, Conor McGregor entered the Octagon after losing his boxing debut to then-lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor was defeated by Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in the first round of UFC 246 but bounced back with a rear-naked choke submission victory. McGregor has lost his previous two fights, at UFC 257 and UFC 264, against opponent Dustin Poirier.
