Conor McGregor plotting “a good stint” at lightweight, Nate Diaz trilogy

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor says he intends to continue competing in the lightweight division for the foreseeable future.

McGregor has competed in three weight-classes in the UFC. He began his run with the promotion as a featherweight, where he defeated the likes of Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo en route to becoming the undisputed champion. He then made a brief visit to lightweight, where he collected a second title with a knockout win over Eddie Alvarez. Since then, he’s drifted between lightweight, welterweight and the boxing ring, where he famously took on Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

Speaking to The Mac Life ahead of his imminent lightweight rematch with Poirier, Conor McGregor explained that he now intends to stay in the weight class for the foreseeable future, and give it the attention he once gave the featherweight division.

“I would like to put a stint in at 155 pounds, for sure,” McGregor said (via MMA Junkie). “I came into the UFC as a featherweight and I went through the division. I gave it my all in that division and I tore through it like a chainsaw through butter. Interim title, then unified title. Then I went up and reached for greater heights, went to the lightweight division, became lightweight champion and became the first dual-weight champion in the company’s history.

“Then obviously other things presented themselves, the Floyd fight and where it went. Then I went to the welterweight division, also. I never got a good stint at 155 pounds, a consecutive stint like I’ve done in the featherweight division. I would like to do the same here in the lightweight division that I’ve done in the featherweight division – give it a good run and tear through the division. There’s many good competitors, good fighters, in there, and I feel levels above them all. So I would like to put that stint in.”

As McGregor suggests, there are many exciting matchups waiting for him at lightweight. One of the biggest would be a tie-breaking trilogy fight with Nate Diaz, who he’s battled twice at welterweight.

The Irishman seems open to that fight at lightweight—though he did concede it could happen at welterweight, too.

“There are dangling carrots … treasure chests that get presented to me,” McGregor said. “We’ve got world titles in boxing now, there’s talks of … I hear Dana [White] talking [about] Nate Diaz coming back down to lightweight. I love that. I’d love to compete against Diaz. We will compete again. If that happens at lightweight for a title, that would be something special, also. So there’s many great options that are in the works and let’s see what happens. I am ready.

“If it’s going to be 155 we could possibly do that for the belt,” McGregor concluded. “If not, I’d probably just fight Nate at 170 pounds again. The reason being we fought at 170 twice. Why mix it up for the trilogy? But, if there’s belts and titles and loftier things on the line, I’m certain a 155-pound challenge with Nate would be something. So, many great fights and many great options, and I’m pretty excited about every single one of them.”

What do you think the future holds for Conor McGregor as he gears up for UFC 257?