Conor McGregor

Nate Diaz wants a shot at Dustin Poirier after UFC 257

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This past weekend at UFC 257, Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) had the performance of his career against Conor McGregor (22-5). Poirier was looking to get his revenge after McGregor had knocked him out six years ago.

The Diamond had some success in the first round, however, McGregor was getting the better of the exchanges. Poirier admitted after the fight that he was hurt in the first round, but McGregor failed to pounce on him.

In the second round, Poirier started butchering the lead leg of the former two-division UFC champion. About two minutes into the round, Poirier landed a leg kick and McGregor’s leg was completely shot.

Poirier pressed McGregor up against the fence and attacked him viciously. After initially defending well, McGregor was caught with a couple of clean rights that put him down and Poirier got the massive knockout win at UFC 257.

In the post-fight press conference, Poirier said only a couple of opponents are interesting to him at this point. He mentioned the trilogy with McGregor, but he also said he wants a fight with Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz made it clear that he wants that fight too.

Will the UFC book Poirier – Diaz?

Originally, Poirier and Diaz were supposed to fight at UFC 230. However, Poirier had to pull out of the fight with an injury. Diaz has maintained for years that Poirier had been ducking him which is why he pulled out of the fight.

Recently, it was announced that Diaz would be returning to the UFC’s lightweight division. However, at this time we don’t know who the opponent would be for Diaz. Dana White has said that the promotion did have an opponent in mind.

In reality, Diaz and Poirier don’t make sense from a UFC rankings perspective. Diaz hasn’t fought at lightweight in years and Poirier should be fighting for the title in his next fight. However, we know that the promotion sometimes overlooks the rankings.

If Poirier is adamant about fighting Diaz next, the UFC could make it happen. I think a more likely fight with Diaz would be the trilogy with McGregor, however, Stockton’s own has made it clear that he wants The Diamond next.

After knocking out Conor McGregor at UFC 257, what’s next for Dustin Poirier?

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For six years Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) has wanted to get back his loss to Conor McGregor (22-5). He finally got his chance at UFC 257. McGregor and Poirier headlined last night’s PPV in an event that was pivotal for the lightweight division.

There is no doubting the fact that Dustin Poirier is way better than he was at UFC 178. The questions were whether or not he’s been able to catch up to Conor McGregor or surpass him during that time. Last night, we emphatically got our answer.

Poirier is known for being a slow starter and he did lose the first round at UFC 257. He did have his moments, but McGregor seemed to get the better of the striking exchanges and even landed some of his shoulder strikes.

However, Poirier was still there after the thirst. In the post-fight press conference, Poirier admitted that McGregor really stunned him with a shot in the first. He said that if McGregor would have pushed forward, he thinks he’d have been in a lot of trouble.

However, McGregor didn’t push forward. During these exchanges, Poirier was racking up the leg kicks. By the second round at UFC 257, they had really done a lot of damage. One really wobbled McGregor and Poirier pounced. He transitioned to power shots from that and put McGregor to sleep.

What’s next after UFC 257?

I was truly blown away by the performance of Dustin Poirier last night at UFC 257. He took some really good shots, but he stayed composed and did what was needed to get the job done against Conor McGregor.

There is no questioning the fact that Dustin Poirier should be fighting for the UFC lightweight title next. The question is more around who he will fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0) retiring.

Dana White said that the UFC wants to book Poirier against Michael Chandler (22-5) for the lightweight title. However, Poirier said in the post-fight press conference that he doesn’t have any interest in fighting Chandler.

Poirier said that the only UFC fights he’s interested in is the trilogy fight with McGregor or fighting Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz and Poirier were supposed to fight a couple of years ago before Poirier got injured.

Time will tell what will happen, but The Diamond should be getting a title shot no matter who he fights. One thing for sure is that Poirier made it clear that he’s the UFC’s best lightweight not named Khabib last night.

After getting stopped at UFC 257, what’s next for Conor McGregor?

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Last night at UFC 257, the fight world was turned upside down. Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) utilized a beautiful game plan and stopped Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round of their rematch.

McGregor had a lot of success in the first round at UFC 257. Upon rewatching the fight, I noticed that McGregor appeared to briefly wobble Poirier a couple of times in the first round. However, he never pushed the action afterwards.

It appeared that McGregor was a little too patient in there. Meanwhile, Poirier took McGregor’s shots and he wouldn’t go away in the first. In the second round, Poirier really started to connect with devastating leg kicks.

A couple of minutes into the round and McGregor buckled after a brutal kick from Poirier. Sensing that McGregor was badly hurt, Poirier swarmed. McGregor dodged some big shots at first, but Poirier was able to land a brutal combination to end things.

The loss at UFC 257 was the first time that McGregor has been stopped by strikes in his career. In reality, it was the first time we’ve seen him really hurt badly on the feet. He’s been stunned a couple of times, but Poirier put him out.

What’s next after UFC 257?

I was very encouraged to hear McGregor at the UFC 257 post-fight press conference. McGregor made it clear that he doesn’t plan on walking away. He also said in his interview in the octagon that he believes inactivity really bit him in this fight.

After last night, it will be back to the drawing board for McGregor. Fortunately for the former UFC champion, the problems from last night are easy to identify. His inability to properly check Poirier’s leg kicks is what did him in.

If the main event was just a boxing match with MMA gloves, McGregor was getting the better of it. McGregor was even getting the better of some of the grappling exchanges that occurred in the fight.

However, a very poised Dustin Poirier found a weakness in the McGregor armor. When he found that weakness, he attacked it viscously. Unlike McGregor, Poirier fought with a killer instinct and he won because of it.

I think the UFC has a very clear next step for Conor McGregor. The next step is the trilogy fight with Nate Diaz (20-12). Diaz is returning to the lightweight division and both men are coming off losses. It’s a massive fight and really the only one that makes sense for Conor McGregor at this time.

UFC: If Khabib stays retired, Poirier will fight Chandler for the title per Dana White

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UFC, Dana White

What a night it was at UFC 257. We saw some shocking results and some incredible fights. Of course, the headlines everywhere will be talking about how Dustin Poirier (27-6, 1 NC) knocked out Conor McGregor (22-5) in the second round.

After a good first round for McGregor, Poirier really started to hurt him with leg kicks. A couple of minutes into the second round and McGregor really wobbled from a big calf kick. Poirier swarmed and landed some shots up top that put McGregor down. 

Poirier proved he’s the best lightweight in the UFC not named Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Just one fight before Poirier, Michael Chandler (22-5) announced his presence against Dan Hooker (20-10) in the co-main event.

Chandler knocked out Hooker with a vicious left hand and follow up shots. There were a lot of questions about Michael Chandler entering UFC 257 and he answered all of them tonight.

During the post-fight press conference, Dana White was asked about the champion Khabib Nurmagomedov. White said that it didn’t look positive in terms of Khabib coming back to fight again which means the UFC‘s lightweight title is up for grabs. White already has a plan for the title.

UFC’s next lightweight title fight

Dana White told the media after UFC 257 that Dustin Poirier would be fighting Michael Chandler for the lightweight title next. This is of course assuming Khabib decides to stay retired.

Both men are coming off of incredible performances on the biggest stage possible. It makes perfect sense for the UFC to capitalize on the momentum of both fighters after such a massive event.

There are a lot of fans who will probably feel for Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC). Oliveira is currently riding a eight-fight win streak at lightweight. He just dismantled Tony Ferguson (25-5) back at UFC 256.

However, Ferguson is really the only big win that he has. Ferguson’s stock is also not as high after he was destroyed by Justin Gaethje (22-3) earlier in 2020. My guess is that the promotion will book Gaethje – Oliveira.

I think the fight that makes the most sense for the title is Chandler – Poirier. Two incredible performances and two athletes that will bring it for the UFC. 2021 should be a fun year for the lightweight division.

Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor at UFC 257

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dustin poirier, ufc

In the main event of UFC 257, the biggest star in the sport made his return. Former two-division champion, Conor McGregor (22-4), took on Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) in a rematch of their first fight that took place at UFC 178.

McGregor was fighting for the first time in almost a year exactly. He took on Cowboy Cerrone back at UFC 246 to kickoff 2020, but that was the last we saw of him. The promotion held out to try and get him in front of fans, and as a result, he briefly retired.

McGregor went through some hard times with the UFC, but the relationship has been prepared and McGregor was back tonight. With a win over Poirier, McGregor would solidify that he’s still one of the very best fighters in the world.

UFC 257 was a massive opportunity for Dustin Poirier. After that first loss to Conor McGregor, Poirier moved up from featherweight to lightweight. His career has taken off and he even became the interim UFC champion.

Over the last few years, the only man to get the best of Poirier was Khabib Nurmagomedov. This rematch was a big chance for Poirier to right the wrong of six years ago and prove that he’s the top contender at 155 pounds.

UFC 257 Recap

Round 1

The UFC 257 main event kicked off with a quick start from McGregor. McGregor opened with a clean jab and a left hand but Poirier took it well. Poirier landed a nice right hand counter on McGregor.

Within 30 seconds, Poirier shot in for a takedown and got McGregor down. McGregor worked his way back up to the fence, but Poirier was holding him well. McGregor worked his way up and reversed Poirier against the fence.

Poirier was popped with a clean shoulder strike from McGregor. McGregor was then reversed against the fence by Dustin Poirier. Poirier was putting all his weight on McGregor against the fence here in the first round.

McGregor landed a very solid knee to the body as Poirier continued to look for a takedown. Poirier tried hard for the takedown, but McGregor was able to reverse the position again against the fence.

McGregor landed a clean elbow as the two men broke. Once they were at distance, McGregor landed a clean left hand that forced the shot from Poirier. McGregor started really opening up and catching Poirier.

The speed advantage was very evident in the first round. Poirier landed a few really nice leg kicks that caught McGregor’s attention. Both men land in the final ten seconds. Despite the takedown, I lean McGregor in round 1 at UFC 257.

Round 2

The second round at UFC 257 kicked off with another push forward from McGregor. McGregor opened with a jab, but he was wobbled by a leg kick. Poirier was briefly wobbled by a right hand, but he recovered well.

Both men then traded massive leg kicks. Poirier badly hurt McGregor with a big leg kick and McGregor wasn’t checking any of them. He tried to throw another but McGregor caught it and threw a big counter.

Poirier continued to pound the leg kicks that were hurting McGregor. A massive leg kick buckled McGregor and he stormed McGregor with hooks. McGregor was badly hurt and a massive hook puts him down for good. Goodness gracious Dustin Poirier knocks out Conor McGregor at UFC 257

Dustin Poirier def. Conor McGregor by KO – Round 2

Chuck Vitolo’s guide to betting UFC 257

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Most are expecting a quick KO by Conor McGregor (-190 odds) at UFC 257 and I understand why, but hear me out.

Dustin Poirier is going to be in total defense mode in RD1 as he and the whole world knows that’s when Conor is the most dangerous. Conor finished him inside of two minutes when they first clashed in 2014 but Poirier has since blossomed into one of the best fighters in the promotion since moving up to lightweight (155 pounds) directly following the loss and its hard to believe he (and Conor too for what it’s worth) ever fought at 145 looking at the size of him now.

Judging by eye, Dustin appeared to be wearing the weight cut harder and weighed in just at the 156-pound limit so it’ll be interesting to see if that has any effect on the both as he had been looking bigger than ever in the months leading up to this fight what I believe to be a clear attempt to gain a size advantage on Conor. He’s making a major risk there as not being fully hydrated/at full strength against a lethal McGregor is playing with fire.

If he and his team are smart – and they are – they have to know his best path to victory is a submission (a Dustin submission pays +1000, great value) in round 2 or later.

On the flip side, I believe Conor is sick and tired of the “he has no cardio” narrative. His team also knows if he ever wants a real shot at beating Khabib he’ll have to evolve and I think we see a totally new approach tonight, a more methodical Conor with a pace; although he’ll surely go for a kill shot if he sees one early.

Really think this one has a solid chance of going the distance, and until I see Conor actually get hurt on his feet, let alone finished I’ll never believe it’s gonna happen. This is gonna be a dogfight, and it’ll be close but if Conor doesn’t finish him early, he’ll gas out for a bit midway but catch a second win and secure a decision win (Conor is +650 to win by decision).

DP is a legit black belt though and that submission threat is very real. On the flip side, Conor’s takedown defense and Jui Jitsu are so underrated and Dustin isn’t a terrific wrestler so it’ll be easier said than done so submit him.

Unfortunately for Dustin, his biggest strength (throwing lethal multi-punch combos) is exactly what Conor feeds into on offense as he’s probably the best counterpuncher in UFC history. It’s simply going to be extremely arduous for him to rock Conor standing, and if Conor is able to slip a few of those punches it could be lights out at any moment.

Overall, Conor is overpriced at closing at around -330 at most books and is more accurately about a -200 favorite if popularity wasn’t a factor.

This is going to be a terrific, tantalizing fight no matter how it ends up shaking out.

UFC 257 outside of the main event

Chandler – Hooker

Have to be honest, I don’t watch much, if any, Bellator so I’ve never really seen Michael Chandler fight live. I think he’s doing to be in for a rude UFC awakening against Dan Hooker (-120) though who has the antidotes for strong wrestlers in the forms of lethal knees and super slick submissions. Would be surprised to see Chandler win (even money).

Believe Hooker will get a finish here and cement himself in the top-five of the sport’s toughest division. It’s going to take an almost perfect effort out of Chandler to best Hooker who is really coming into his own and that’s a tall ask of a guy who is making his UFC debut on such a big stage against a seasoned UFC vet.

Hooker should easily be able to control the distance and even just feinting knees should keep Chandler at bay.

Ribas – Rodriguez

This will be Amanda Ribas’ (-330) true coming out party, as she’s already only about 1-2 solid outings away from a title shot and will be that much closer when she finishes a tough 12-1 Marina Rodriguez, whose only loss is against former champ Carla Esparza, tonight.

Had she not gotten a bogus two-year PED suspension that eventually got overturned, Ribas would already be in the title picture. She’s the next big thing in the women’s division.

Rest of the Main Card

The rest of the card isn’t super inspiring although there’s the potential (as always) for some crazy finishes on the prelims.

Don’t see Jessica Eye/Jojo Calderwood (-120) being very exciting although the bad blood makes it interesting. Not sure that Jessica Eye (+100) has fully recovered mentally from the vicious headkick knockout she suffered at the hands of Valentina and she has a nagging elbow injury that could hinder her.

The same thing goes for Julianna Pena/Sarah McMann (-125) as far as exactment level/chance of a crazy finish goes but I see Pena (+105) grinding out a fairly decisive decision. She’s worth a look at a play as I feel the oddsmakers have the wrong fighter favored.

Undercard

As far as the undercard goes, your best potential for a wild finish should come in the Khalil Roundtree (-380)/Marcin Prachnio bout. One of them will get KO’d and I think Prachnio actually has a solid chance of pulling out a shock upset (+300 dog) via knockout as he’s on a three-fight skid and needs to do something special if he wants to hang around the UFC.

Roundtree simply isn’t good enough to deserve to be almost a 4:1 favorite against anyone in the UFC as he’s been finished in the first round in 2/3 fights himself.

Although Prachnio has been finished in all three of those consecutive losses, they came against pretty stiff competition and was very successful in his ONE championship days.

Long Island’s own Matt Frevola is pretty significantly underpriced at +500 and is worth a look at that number.

Arman Tsarukyan (-700) is riding a significant amount (of mostly unwarranted) hype heading into this one and doesn’t deserve to be a 7:1 favorite here.

Fan favorite Brad Tavaras (+100) Antônio Carlos Junior (-120) should be a back-and-forth battle that I believe will end up going to decision but it’s really a coin flip.

Both fighters are relatively young, but extremely seasoned veterans that have fought the majority of their careers in the UFC so their records aren’t a great indicator of how high-quality they truly are.

If you’re going to play something here, Carlos Júnior by submission at +340 as he’s a high-level BJJ black belt with 8 career submissions under his belt.

Here are my personal plays for the night:

(Chuck Vitolo’s YTD record: 0-0)

• Conor McGregor +Amanda Ribas parlay to win (-145) for 3 units

• Conor McGregor by decision (+650) for .5 units

• Dan Hooker (-120) for 2.5 units

• Amanda Ribas by sub (+280) for 1 units

• Julianna Pena (+108) for 1 unit

(My max bets are 5 units and all odds are courtesy of Fanduel Sportsbook)

UFC 257 Preview: Conor McGregor – Dustin Poirier 2

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We are just one day away from UFC 257 and the main event that fight fans have been waiting for. Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) will get his chance at revenge when he takes on the biggest star in the sport, Conor McGregor (22-4).

The fight is of course a rematch from UFC 178. That night, Poirier was supposed to provide the first true test for Conor McGregor. Instead, McGregor tore through Poirier and finished him in the first round.

Here we are now over six years later getting ready to see the rematch and this time at lightweight. For Dustin Poirier, his career really took off when he moved up to 155 pounds. Since making the move to lightweight after the McGregor loss, he’s only lost twice.

One of those coming to the undisputed UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0). Outside of that, Poirier has been sensational at lightweight. He’s tougher, more durable, and way more powerful at 155 pounds.

He became the UFC interim lightweight champion during his run. Poirier holds victories over Dan Hooker, Max Holloway, Eddie Alvarez, Justin Gaethje, and Anthony Pettis since moving up. Simply put, he’s one of the best.

Return of the Mac

Then of course you have Conor McGregor. The UFC’s first champ-champ will be making the walk for the first time since last January. It’s worth noting that this is actually only McGregor’s third fight in the UFC’s lightweight division.

In his first fight, he defeated Eddie Alvarez for the title. After that, he pursued a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. The only other time he fought at lightweight was at UFC 229 when he lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Despite this only being McGregor’s third fight in the UFC’s lightweight division, it should be noted that he’s one of the best in the world. If you’re doubting the skill of Conor McGregor, you’re simply hating on the man because his skill can’t be questioned.

You do not just knockout Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez the way he did without skill. You don’t finish Donald Cerrone in 40 seconds without skill. Conor McGregor is an incredibly dangerous lightweight contender and he might be the best in the world outside of Khabib.

UFC 257 Prediction

The rematch at UFC 257 is incredibly fascinating. I believe that both men are fighting at their natural weight class in this fight. Dustin Poirier is so much better than he was the first time they fought. However, McGregor is a lot better than he was as well.

The questions surround whether Poirier has done enough to not just make up the gap, but surpass McGregor. One thing I’ll be looking at right away tomorrow night is the pace and who pushes forward early.

When Dustin Poirier is at his best, he’s the one pressing the action. However, if he’s tentative and moving backwards, he gets himself into trouble. When he fought Max Holloway, the only time he was getting touched up was when he didn’t press the action.

He can’t afford to let McGregor dictate the pace at UFC 257. That said, he also needs to be incredibly careful in the first round when McGregor’s at his most dangerous. It’s a tight rope to walk and the first round is going to tell me a lot.

I’ve gone back and forth and I’m making this prediction based on the best version of both guys. If the best version of Dustin Poirier fights the best version of Conor McGregor at UFC 257, the result will be similar to the first and that’s what I’m going with.

I like McGregor’s speed and ability to throw straight shots. Poirier hooks a lot more than McGregor and if he does that too much, he’ll get beat to the punch down the center line. In the end, I think McGregor wins the rematch in the second round with a finish.

Prediction: Conor McGregor by TKO – Round 2

UFC: Conor McGregor issues response to Jake Paul

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Conor McGregor, UFC

Conor McGregor (22-4) is getting prepared for his return at UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC). McGregor appears to be as focused as he’s ever been. He also looks like he’s in incredible shape ahead of his return this Saturday.

One thing that McGregor hasn’t addressed in the past couple of weeks is the callout from Jake Paul. It doesn’t seem that really any reporter has asked the question, but that changed when he was interviewed by BT Sport.

Towards the end of his interview, McGregor was asked about YouTubers calling him out. The former UFC champion made it clear that he really doesn’t take it seriously and he believes that Jake Paul is a little confused.

“He seems like a confused little kid to me. Now, he’s willing to get in there so I don’t know what’s going to happen. You never know,” McGregor said to BT Sport. While his tone seemed to indicate he doesn’t take it seriously, he at least left the door open for the potential fight.

UFC’s McGregor – Jake Paul

McGregor has made it clear that his focus is on another UFC run at lightweight. However, he does have interest in boxing. He’s openly talked about his desire to box Manny Pacquiao and he alluded to that in this interview.

It was announced yesterday that Paul would be headlining a boxing card on April 17th. However, we do not know the opponent of that bout just yet. Paul has made it clear that he wants to box an MMA fighter in his next bout.

I think it’s safe to say that he’s not going to be boxing the former UFC champion next. I’m very curious to see who Paul ends up boxing in April, and if he wants to be taken seriously, he needs to box someone from a combat sports background.

Conor McGregor hit with multimillion-dollar lawsuit to kick off UFC 257’s Fight Week

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Conor McGregor, UFC

This upcoming Saturday at UFC 257, Conor McGregor (22-4) will be making his return to the octagon. McGregor is headlining the first PPV of 2021 against Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC) in a rematch from their original fight that took place over six years ago.

It seems that everything has gone smooth in McGregor’s preparation for his UFC return. He seems more focused than ever and he seems to be in the best shape he’s ever been in leading up to the fight.

McGregor has been through a lot over the past few years. In reality, he’s brought a lot of negative attention onto himself with his actions. Whether it was throwing a dolly threw a bus window or punching an old man in a pub in Dublin, McGregor has made some questionable decisions.

That said, the last year has been smooth for McGregor. He fought at UFC 246 to kickoff 2020 and won in 40 seconds. After that, he had some public spats with the UFC that caused a brief retirement. However, nothing extremely negative happened outside the cage.

Instead, McGregor appeared to still be training despite his self-proclaimed retirement. Just when you thought we were in the clear of all the outside drama, news broke today that McGregor has been hit with a multimillion-dollar law suit over events that took place in 2018.

Will this impact UFC 257?

ESPN reported today that a suit was filed against McGregor in the High Court of Dublin. The lawsuit is a personal injury lawsuit that has been filed by a woman in Dublin. McGregor and an associate are both listed as defendants in the case.

It is worth noting that the UFC star was already investigated for this alleged incident. After collecting evidence and doing a series of interviews, the UFC star was not charged of any crime.

Of course, just because McGregor wasn’t charged doesn’t mean that the woman cannot pursue damages. That said, it appears that it will be an uphill battle for the woman and her mother who have filed the lawsuits against McGregor.

You already know that there is a high-level legal team that will start to handle this. However, one has to wonder if it will be in the back of his mind as he prepares this week. Then again, maybe McGregor will be able to block it out and just focus on the fight in front of him.

Khabib and Dana White to meet one final time after UFC 257 in Las Vegas

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This weekend, Dana White and UFC lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov (29-0), had their much anticipated meeting. The world was expecting a final resolution after the meeting. White teased that an announcement would be made at UFC Fight Island 7.

Well, White did announce the results of that conversation yesterday. However, in the end, nothing new came of it. According to White, Khabib is going to sit back and watch UFC 257 and see if any of the four top lightweights competing entices him to come back.

Khabib has apparently told White that he doesn’t want to tie up the division. He apparently has been very impressed with Charles Oliveira (30-8, 1 NC) as of late, but he’s still not 100% sure he will come back. He’s looking for something that excites him to make him come back.

While that’s certainly not a yes, the more important thing is that it’s not a no. With Khabib telling White that he’ll sit back and wait, you can tell that the UFC lightweight champion is still interested in competing. Otherwise, he wouldn’t think twice about UFC 257 next weekend.

UFC’s plan with Khabib

Dana White told the media at the UFC Fight Island 7 post-fight press conference that Khabib is leaving Fight Island after the Wednesday card. However, he’s not flying home to Russia, but instead, he’s flying to Las Vegas.

After the UFC’s current stint on Fight Island wraps up, White will be returning to Las Vegas as well. White said that the current plan is for him and Khabib to meet up for dinner after he returns home from Fight Island.

Apparently, that is the meeting where the final decision will be made. After next weekend, Khabib will decide whether there are any challenges left for him in the UFC that interest him. If so, he’ll come back to defend the title. If not, he will vacate the title for the division to move on.

It’s not a secret, but the desire for the UFC is to have Khabib defend his title in a rematch against Conor McGregor (22-4). McGregor of course headlines UFC 257 against Dustin Poirier (26-6, 1 NC). Should McGregor win, that will be the fight the UFC pushes for. It’ll be interesting to see if Khabib is interested.