If Conor McGregor is back in the testing pool…
… then who will he fight? And can we believe it will actually happen?
The MMA Notebook runs every Friday.
In this edition:
If Conor McGregor is back in the testing pool, who will he fight–and will it actually materialize?
RDR wins close fight against Robert Whittaker
Weekend picks
Conor McGregor says he is back in the testing pool
Conor McGregor claims he is back in the testing pool.
Even if that is true, it is best for all of us to curb our enthusiasm. The likelihood of McGregor ever fighting again remains unlikely. He has not fought since July of 2021, and despite vowing to return against Michael Chandler at the end of their Ultimate Fighter series, McGregor ultimately left Chandler alone at the alter.
But the lure of a card at the White House is quite appealing to fighters, and that includes McGregor. As for an opponent, Nate Diaz would make sense, yet the best fit is Chandler. Especially considering Chandler was manhandled in his most recent bout against Paddy Pimblett in April, this would be a high-profile matchup where McGregor could return and still produce a victory. And jumping multiple feet ahead, can you imagine that post-fight interview with a victorious McGregor after winning at the White House? There would be absolutely nothing like it.
Here comes the caveat: why would Dana White take the risk? McGregor significantly hurt the UFC 303 card after announcing he could no longer compete due to an injured toe. Fortunately, that event was saved by Alex Pereira, who has quietly become the face of the UFC [and if Pereira defeats Magomed Anklalaev in their rematch, then an argument could be made that Pereira against Jon Jones should headline the White House card].
White already stated that it would be difficult to put Jones on the White House card because of his lack of reliability. It is the exact same conundrum with McGregor. The question becomes whether McGregor can be trusted in that type of high stakes position.
It is also undeniable that McGregor would add a level of excitement to the White House card that no other fighter can match. As a part-time owner of BKFC, he makes their press conferences alone must-see viewing.
It feels like it would take a massive event to get McGregor to return to the cage. Yet that is precisely what is happening with the White House card. He has an opponent lined up in Chandler, and he is now–allegedly–back in the testing pool.
It’s now or never for McGregor. But all of a sudden, this isn’t out of the realm of possibility.
RDR keeps winning
Reinier de Ridder defeated Robert Whittaker last week by split decision.
It marked de Ridder’s fourth straight victory in the UFC. His last two wins have come against Bo Nickal–shattering his undefeated streak–and now middleweight staple in Whittaker.
But this didn’t come without controversy.
Whittaker landed harder, and his striking damaged de Ridder, who needed to survive a ferocious onslaught. Those optics certainly swayed the look of the fight–but it doesn’t change the fact that de Ridder won the second, fourth, and fifth rounds.
This came down to the fifth round, and de Ridder did just enough to win a very competitive bout. The decision is likely best for the division, adding new blood into the middleweight title picture. Despite the loss, Whittaker will still play an important role, just away from the belt.
Styles make fights, so it is possible that de Ridder will fare better against the likes of Dricus du Plessis or Khamzat Chimaev. But after seeing him struggle with Whittaker, it appears de Ridder is good enough to get to a title shot–yet not quite elite enough to win.
Pick ‘Em Section
UFC Fight Night flyweight bout: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park
Pick: Tatsuro Taira
UFC Fight Night lightweight bout: Chris Duncan vs. Mateusz Rebecki
Pick: Mateusz Rebecki
UFC Fight Night lightweight bout: Esteban Ribovics vs. Elves Brener
Pick: Esteban Ribovics
UFC Fight Night women’s bantamweight bout: Karol Rosa vs. Nora Cornolle
Pick: Karol Rosa
UFC Fight Night welterweight bout: Neil Magny vs. Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos
Pick: Neil Magny
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