Nate Diaz and Justin Gaethje are the 2 frontrunners to fight Conor McGregor in the summer
- Conor McGregor's next UFC fight could be against power-striker Justin Gaethje or old rival Nate Diaz, according to ESPN.
- McGregor ended a three-year winless run when he defeated Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds in Las Vegas last month.
- After the fight, the UFC president Dana White told the media that a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov could be made next.
- Nurmagomedov defends his UFC lightweight title against Tony Ferguson in April but if one of the pair withdraws from the event, McGregor will replace them and fight for the title in their place.
- Should that event go ahead as planned, McGregor could instead fight Gaethje or Diaz by the summer.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Conor McGregor's next fight could be against the exemplary striker Justin Gaethje or his old rival Nate Diaz, ESPN reported.
McGregor ended a three-year winless run last month when he destroyed Donald Cerrone with shoulder strikes, a head kick, and ground-and-pound.
The Irishman beat "Cowboy" in 40 seconds at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas in January. After the fight UFC President Dana White told a press conference attended by Business Insider that a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov should be made next for McGregor.
Nurmagomedov, the UFC lightweight champion, defends his belt against Tony Ferguson at UFC 249 in Brooklyn on April 18. Should one of Nurmagomedov or Ferguson withdraw from the show, McGregor would take their place and fight for the title, ESPN reports.
However, if the UFC 249 main event goes ahead as planned, McGregor will likely compete in the summer instead.
"Gaethje may be the front-runner," ESPN said, though it is possible a third bout with Diaz could take place.
McGregor vs. Gaethje could be 'fight of the year'
Though Gaethje, a 31-year-old American, has an NCAA Division I All-American wrestling background, 18 of his 21 wins have come by knockout or technical knockout as he is an expert when fighting on his feet.
Since back-to-back losses to Eddie Alvarez and Dustin Poirier, Gaethje rebuilt his name and standing in the sport with a hat-trick of first round finishes.
The ESPN reporter Brett Okamoto said a bout between Gaethje and McGregor would be a "fight of the year" candidate because the former's "pace and pressure would be a real challenge for McGregor."
Gaethje even tweeted to say he thinks McGregor is avoiding a fight with him.
But it is a bout which McGregor has expressed interest in, telling The MacLife - a publication which his firm McGregor Sports and Entertainment controls - that "he [Gaethje] is on the list."
Before he beat Cerrone, McGregor said: "Maybe I'll get through Donald and have a quick turnaround against Justin."
McGregor vs. Diaz 3 'is one of the biggest fights the UFC can put on'
McGregor and Diaz share a storied rivalry. When McGregor was rising to the top of the mixed martial arts mountain, beating elite opponents like Max Holloway, Chad Mendes, and Jose Aldo with ease, one man stood up to the barrage of his attacks and even submitted him, stopping him in two rounds in 2016. That man was Diaz.
An immediate rematch was booked and McGregor regrouped, put together an alternative strategy with his fight team, and defeated Diaz five months later to level the rivalry one win apiece.
A decider has long been mooted and, as the ESPN reporter Marc Raimondi said, "from a box-office perspective, Diaz is the bigger name [out of him and Gaethje] and the more compelling story."
Raimondi said: "Diaz … is the best available option, it seems, and McGregor vs. Diaz 3 is one of the biggest fights the UFC can put on."
McGregor had previously been linked with a boxing rules contest against the former eight-weight world champion boxer Manny Pacquiao. McGregor lost his sole boxing fight when he was stopped in the 10th round against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
But a second boxing fight was mentioned repeatedly during the build-up to McGregor's comeback at UFC 246 in January, and Pacquiao's manager Sean Gibbons even challenged the Irishman "to a proper fight," presumably with his client.
More recently, Pacquiao signed a deal with the talent agency Paradigm SM. The company's founder Audie Attar, who also represents McGregor, told Business Insider that signing Pacquiao ensured it was "a great day for Paradigm."
The deal could smooth negotiations for a $250 million Pacquiao vs. McGregor super-fight, likely at the under construction Allegiant Stadium near the Las Vegas strip.
That fight might not happen until 2021, if it even does, as ESPN, which broadcasts UFC events in the United States, is adamant McGregor's next challenge will be in the UFC Octagon - against Gaethje or Diaz.
Read more:
Tyson Fury's promoter says an Anthony Joshua fight should be in the UK or USA, not Saudi Arabia