Conor McGregor never really fell at the UFC. However, it must be admitted, the appearance of Khabib Nurmagomedov in two years actually slightly hindered the light of fame leading to him.
McGregor is the main star of the UFC. Its presence has made UFC more widely known throughout the world. His name is considered to exceed other UFC legends such as Anderson Silva, Georges St-Pierre, to Jon Jones in terms of market penetration.
McGregor’s ability in the octagon then complements all of that. He succeeded in becoming the first fighter who won the title in two different classes simultaneously.
McGregor, feeling that he had reached the limits at the UFC, then took a further leap by challenging Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the boxing ring. The UFC boss finally gave up even though it was hard for him.
After losing to Mayweather, McGregor was still warmly welcomed by the privilege of being able to directly fight Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight belt.
It turned out that McGregor lost this match. The name Khabib skyrocketed, the name McGregor sank as the taunts of Khabib finally seemed to backfire on him.
The UFC could eventually give up its dependence on McGregor, though not entirely. McGregor only played one match against Cowboy Cerrone in early 2020 before deciding to retire because he was disappointed by the UFC’s decision not to give him a match schedule.
McGregor Still Has a Selling Value
Even though he was beaten by Khabib, McGregor’s selling point did not necessarily fall. There are still many fighters who challenge and have ambitions to fight McGregor.
All because the magnet in McGregor hasn’t really gone away. McGregor dominates the UFC pay per view and his battles are always full of spectators.
McGregor only lost to Khabib, which is indeed a new charm. McGregor himself could not do much because Khabib did not give him a chance to rematch on the grounds that he no longer wanted to deal with McGregor who insulted his family a lot.
UFC also seems to no longer give attention and affection like before. When McGregor decided to step down, Dana White volunteered to let him go.
White knows that McGregor’s retirement decision is an emotional one. McGregor finally had to curry favor with him because a few months after retiring, he was already busy challenging many fighters. A sign that he was actually still itching to exchange blows.
Because he had already licked his throat, McGregor was no longer playing at this time. McGregor will prepare to face the duel against Poirier just like a newcomer to the UFC. He’s going to really mean it and go all out.
McGregor knows that the duel against Poirier is an opportunity to bring back his big name, or even open the possibility of a rematch against Khabib.
If McGregor wins against Poirier, the next open opportunity is a duel against Justin Gaethje or Tony Ferguson. These duels will also depend on Khabib Nurmagomedov’s status in the light class.
If Khabib were still asked to be the lightweight champion, McGregor could still hope to walk the path to rematch against Khabib. McGregor always brushed aside Khabib’s defeat with the alibi that he was not preparing seriously for the 2018 match. That curiosity is what McGregor still has to this day.
But if Khabib doesn’t want to come back within a year and the UFC takes the title out of his hands, McGregor will be competing with the above names for the hunt for the vacant lightweight belt.
With that in mind, it’s clear that the match against Poirier is the first step in McGregor’s important duels in 2021.
As for the UFC, they are now starting to consider McGregor back to be their favorite child and main star. But of course it must be accompanied by impressive performance and winning in the octagon.
