Conor McGregor does not regret taking his return fight at the welterweight class. In fact, he is confident he can beat his opponent at any weight.
Set for his much-awaited return in the Octagon, ‘The Notorious’ from Ireland will headline the UFC 246 pay-per-view event on January 18 opposite Donald Cerrone.
McGregor last fought in October 2018, when he challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight championship.
Unfortunately, things did not end well for the Irishman as he suffered an emphatic fourth-round submission loss – his second consecutive defeat in two years.
Seeking another shot at a UFC gold, he plans to appear in another fight at 170 pounds before facing the Russian champion in a rematch.
But beating Cerrone will not be a walk in the park for McGregor.
The MMA veteran currently holds all records for the most wins, most knockdowns, most finishes, and most post-fight bonuses in the UFC.
More Options
In a recent interview with ESPN, McGregor said he is excited on his journey at welterweight and is confident that Cerrone would not be much of problem when they tussle in Las Vegas.
“I’d beat him at any weight. I’d beat him if I had the flu. I don’t need that,” the Irishman claimed (via Sporting News).
“I just want to focus on my training and keep myself sharp. I don’t want to cut and then build and then cut. I’m happy where I’m at.”
“Also, 170 is an exciting one for me. I like 170. I like what’s going on in the 170 division at the minute.”
The former two-division champion is also ecstatic about the potential match-ups at 170 and insists he wants to fight for the ‘BMF belt.
“You’ve got Jorge with that [BMF] belt, you’ve got the other guys fighting for the [championship] belt. I like all of what’s going on at 170, and I feel good at 170.”
“I feel energetic — it’s what I weigh and that’s it. It opens up so many more options, right?”
Not Yet Done
But while McGregor looks to stay active at 170, he said he will return to lightweight class for an unfinished business.
“I’m not done at 155. I could make 155 this fight, no problem, but I just want to go in fresh and as it is, let the fight play as it is and open up all my options.”
Meanwhile, UFC president Dana White said a rematch between McGregor and Khabib could happen sooner than expected if both superstars win their respective assignments at UFC 246 and UFC 249.
Nurmagomedov recently unified the lightweight titles, defeating Dustin Poirier at UFC 242 last September.
He is set for his next title-defence in April, where he will clash with number one contender, Tony Ferguson, in what many anticipate as the biggest UFC fight this year.
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(Featured Image Source: Instagram/ Conor McGregor and UFC)