Conor McGregor has revealed that he is open to competing at middleweight after Sean Strickland’s title-clinching performance.
The 185 lb belt changed hands on Saturday night, after former champion Israel Adesanya found himself convincingly beaten by the American. Strickland’s victory goes down as one of the biggest shocks in UFC title-fight history, after entering the octagon as a significant underdog.
UFC 293’s main event has opened the middleweight division up to a multitude of potential matchups. It does seem, however, that ‘The Last Stylebender‘ will be getting an immediate rematch.
Conor McGregor to Middleweight
McGregor has long-toyed with the idea of moving up again from lightweight. The Irishman has previously competed at 170 lb in bouts against Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone.
Middleweight would be a completely new chapter for the former double-champ. McGregor has consistently mentioned fighting Michael Chandler at 185 lb throughout the course of The Ultimate Fighter‘s 31st instalment.
Following Strickland’s win at UFC 293, a fan of ‘The Notorious‘ tweeted him stating: “Conor move up to 185 this is your chance.”
He replied: “No mess, I’d fancy it.”
Another fan also suggested the fight against Chandler should take place at welterweight. McGregor responded: “185.”
Chandler similarly appeared open to the idea of a middleweight bout. McGregor’s comments caught the attention of the 37-year-old over the weekend.
He replied: “185 would be great … finally an easy cut after 22 years of hard weight cutting. #seeyousoon”
A clip from February 2023 has also resurfaced, taken during the filming process of The Ultimate Fighter 31. It shows McGregor stating that he’d rather the fight versus Chandler be at 185 lb, as opposed to 155 lb or 170 lb.
UFC enthusiasts are yet to hear an official date for a fight between the pairing. McGregor has previously eluded to UFC 296 being a potential destination, although President Dana White believes a return in 2024 is more likely.
Would you like to see Conor McGregor compete at middleweight? When do you think the fight against Michael Chandler will happen? Let us know in the comments below!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
