Dana White Details Next Fights For Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal Post UFC 246

McGregor’s choices include a possible fight for the lightweight title belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov.

After Conor McGregor’s lightning-fast victory over Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in UFC 246, amateur comedians on social media joked that the old man McGregor allegedly punched in a Dublin bar gave him more of a fight. 

That elderly Irishman the Notorious One was accused of decking will not, however, be the next opponent up on McGregor’s UFC dance card. That honor, according to Dana White’s post-fight press conference, has everything to do with the result of the upcoming April lightweight title bout between McGregor nemesis Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson.

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According to White, McGregor’s victory puts him in contention to face the winner of the Nurmagomedov-Ferguson match. Should either of those contenders drop out for any reason, he’ll be the official replacement. So depending on the circumstances, the McGregor-Nurmagomedov beef could heat up again in a huge way in a matter of months.

What’s in the cards for welterweight Jorge Masvidal, who showed up in a Versace robe at ringside to watch UFC 246?

Dana White said later in the presser that the battle for the welterweight title between Masvidal and Kamaru Usman is “the fight to make.” This comes after Masvidal recently noted that what he really seeks is a high-profile faceoff against McGregor—who despite his long break and lack of a belt is still the biggest name in MMA. 

The problem with Masvidal vs. McGregor, White said, is that neither has a title at the moment. There needs to be something in contention and Masvidal is white-hot after beating Colby Covington and Tyron Woodley.

Up next is UFC 247, in which the main event will see 25-1 light heavyweight Jon Jones fight undefeated Dominick Reyes. It airs February 8, 2020 on pay-per-view from the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.