There are currently three men atop the UFC's lightweight division.
Conor McGregor holds the 155lbs belt but hasn't defended it in over a year. Tony Ferguson claimed the interim title by knocking Kevin Lee out of contention with a triangle choke in the main event of UFC 216. And Khabib Nurmagomedov possesses a 25-0 professional record and arguably the most terrifying style in the entire division.
Common sense would dictate that McGregor's comeback fight would come in a unification bout against Ferguson but, as we've learned, common sense is a rarity in the sport of mixed martial arts.
Confusion surrounded the lightweight title picture but UFC President Dana White has since shed light on how he sees the matchmaking process playing out in the coming months.
"As long as Conor is willing to fight by March, we could do Khabib versus Tony and then the winner fights Conor for the title," White told
Yahoo Sports. "Or if Conor wants to sit out until next fall, then we’d have to make Khabib versus Tony for the title, not the interim title."
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Having made more than enough money in his lucrative but unsuccessful boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather last August, 'The Notorious' reportedly wants to take a full year away from competition but White will not allow a champion to hold on to a belt for a full two years without defending.
"I don’t think he wants to fight until August, but if he waits until August or September, that’s around two years since the belt has been defended and that can’t happen," White added.
McGregor is well aware of his worth to the UFC and he's got no problem playing the waiting game if it means he gets a better offer down the line because, as we all know, the UFC is rather short of legitimate superstars nowadays.
But White remains confident that a deal can be done and his biggest superstar will be back in action before too long.
"I’ve never been afraid to pay Conor McGregor money," said White. "Conor brings money in. We’ve laid out a really nice offer for him and he’s a smart kid, I think we’ll figure it out."
