Conor McGregor fans watching UFC 217 hoping for a promo to be cut may be very disappointed.
There's no shortage of options for Conor McGregor's highly-anticipated return to the Octagon. The Notorious has reached that rare level of superstardom where regardless who he fights, it is sure to be a hugely successful PPV.
Sure, completing the trilogy against Nate Diaz might do slightly better than the other available bouts, but McGregor could fight pretty much anyone and it would still get the masses to part with their hard-earned cash. Whether it's a title unification bout or just a fun fight, you can guarantee his next move is going to garner a lot of attention.
However, there is one calibre of fight that might just rival settling the series against his arch enemy and that is a legitimate superfight. Ever since former welterweight king Georges St-Pierre announced that he would be coming out retirement, that superfight seemed to be a possibility.
Olivier Aubin-Mercier, who trains with GSP in Tristar Montreal, made some comments that really got people thinking he might use his middleweight title fight with Michael Bisping as an opportunity to push for his own Red Panty Night. However, as he told ESPN's Brett Okamoto, he has no interest in calling out a fighter who's smaller than him, even if his stardom is considerably larger.
"We don’t compete in the same weight class. Everything is possible, everybody’s targeting him because he’s the money fight. But I don’t challenge guys that compete in lower weight classes. I’m going up to fight Bisping, so I’m looking up."
That does not mean the hopes of seeing McGregor vs St-Pierre in a potential PPV record-smasher are over. The Canadian didn't exactly slam the door shut on that match-up.
“He’s an amazing fighter and it would be an amazing honour, but I don’t know. If the fans want and if he wants it, maybe it could happen.”
We just saw McGregor make his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in a fight that was booked because the people asked for it. So if the people want McGregor v GSP, that's more than likely what they are going to get.
