It looks like Conor McGregor could be fighting this summer after all.
ESPN’s Ariel Helwani reported during his “Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show” earlier today (Mon. February 24, 2020) that he has heard McGregor vs. Justin Gaethje is being discussed for this summer. He later mentioned that the fight is the frontrunner over other options such as a Nate Diaz trilogy fight.
McGregor made his highly-anticipated return to mixed martial arts competition this past January at UFC 246. The Irishman made quick work of Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in their welterweight main event, finishing Cerrone in 40 seconds. After the fight, McGregor stood by his longtime claims that he wants to be active in 2020, fighting anywhere from three to four times.
UFC president Dana White seemed adamant that McGregor’s next fight should be against the winner of Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson in April. However, that narrative didn’t fit in with McGregor’s plans to be active this year. A matchup against Gaethje would certainly make sense, as “The Highlight” has been calling the Irishman out for some time now. Gaethje argues it should’ve been him who welcomed McGregor back to the Octagon in the first place, not Cerrone.
With that being said, he could very well get his chance later this summer. As for the aforementioned Nate Diaz trilogy fight, Diaz is coming off of a doctor stoppage loss to Jorge Masvidal at welterweight this past November. There’s still a score to settle between McGregor and Diaz, who sit at one apiece against each other in their careers. It will be interesting to see who the UFC ultimately matches McGregor up with next.
