As we inch closer to the mega UFC White House event in June, all eyes remain on Conor McGregor.
The Irish superstar is the biggest possible name who could headline the card, and he’s made it clear he wants
top billing for his long-awaited (and unlikely?) UFC return. Better yet, McGregor’s current suspension ends just in time for him to return to action at the most high-profile event of the year, which would only be fitting after all these years. “The Notorious” is eager for his return, pending a quick chat with Ari Emanuel.
Now that a date is somewhat in place, the next question is who’s the opponent? For years, the plan has been Michael Chandler, but UFC CEO Dana White recently shifted away from that idea. It’s a rough turn of events for the man who sat so long on the sidelines, but White has made it quite clear he no longer views Chandler vs. McGregor as the fight to make.
How about Mauricio Ruffy? The slick knockout artist just picked up a monstrous knockout win at UFC 325 over Rafael Fiziev (watch it here), and he’s been compared on more than one occasion to a young Conor McGregor. Per the Brazilian, he’s in consideration as McGregor’s next opponent, because Mac and company are looking for a fun striking matchup that will excite the fans.
“There were comments about me fighting him,” Ruffy told Laerte Viana. “He said that two very high-level strikers would sell much more. It would be closer to what he’s trying to bring with his return. In his return, he doesn’t want to fight a guy who’s coming off several losses. He wants to fight a good striker who will drive the crowd crazy. And right away I said, ‘Wow, I’m in.100% count me in.‘”
This fight both makes sense and raises questions. Obviously, it would be a huge opportunity for Ruffy, who would walk away much more famous regardless of the outcome. Is Ruffy well-known enough to serve as McGregor’s foil, however? He’s only fought in the UFC five times, though that’s all it’s taken to establish himself as one of the division’s best kickboxers. Furthermore, would the fight be at Welterweight? McGregor will be the one calling the shots on such details, but Ruffy has only competed at 155-pounds previously.
I’ll leave it to our readers: who’s on board for McGregor vs. Ruffy in just five month’s time?
