Could Floyd Mayweather block a rematch between Conor McGregor and Khabib?
Conor Mcgregor is plotting a return to the Octagon after the one-sided defeat with Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Can the 'Notorious' get back in the big time against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone? Cowboy holds many records in the UFC, including the most wins in the company's history. The experience of Cerrone will certainly test McGregor's ability on his return and should he come through, he'll certainly be calling out all the big names of the MMA and boxing worlds.
Jorge Masvidal is someone McGregor would like to fight at some point. The 35-year-old defeated Nate Diaz to claim the inaugural BMF title and in doing so ended 2019 with a 3-0 record, which also included victory over England's Darren Till.
McGregor, though, shared his disappointment on how Masvidal's bout with Diaz fizzled out. The Irishman felt fans were left short-changed as the BMF showdown got halted due to the amount of blood sustained from a less than glamorous Diaz face.
The two-weight ruler, who avenged his defeat to Diaz in 2016, has admitted he's eyeing a shot at the welterweight title in 2020.
No better way to open a decade!
— UFC (@ufc) 1 January 2020
🇮🇪 @TheNotoriousMMA vs 🤠 @CowboyCerrone
1️⃣7️⃣ DAYS AWAY! #UFC246 pic.twitter.com/vxdXo0w08C
Can McGregor reach those dizzy heights again?
There's certainly no doubt about the aura of McGregor - it's still there and always will be no matter what happens next. However, his last victory was in 2016. FOUR YEARS AGO. While he maintains the aura of a champion, his invincibility has gone. Since beating Eddie Alvarez, defeats have come to Mayweather in a boxing mismatch and a submission to Khabib. Issues outside of the ring and cage have since followed McGregor. In a potential tricky contest against the 'Cowboy', the only thing McGregor needs on January 18 is that 'W'. After that, he can then look at the likes of a dust-up with Masvidal, welterweight titlist Usman and an unlikely rematch with Nurmagomedov.
It's mad how things can quickly change in combat sports. McGregor was once seen as the poster boy for UFC and now he stands on the brink of promoting his 'Proper No.12 Irish Whiskey' bottle permanently should he lose to Cerrone.
White and Mayweather confirm working partnership
Meanwhile, Khabib is in pole position to become the next MMA man to star in a crossover fight with Mayweather. The American, currently 50-0, is set to return in 2020 in association with UFC mogul Dana White. Manny Pacquiao and Khabib are the two names favorites. Mayweather and White struck a deal after coincidentally sitting next to each other at an NBA game last year. White apparently purchased a ticket for a Clippers game and was allocated next to Floyd - one believes that may not have been a coincidence, somehow. White has since opened up on some of the details of an intriguing partnership.