It appears Conor McGregor may be able to jump the line and earn a title shot with a win at UFC 303.
McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) returns in the June 29 main event in a welterweight bout against Michael Chandler (23-8 MMA, 2-3 UFC).
Both UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev (25-1 MMA, 14-1 UFC) and now his manager Ali Abdelaziz are on board with McGregor being next in line with a win over Chandler.
“Conor might go there and knock out Chandler in the first round and after that, he’s one of the biggest stars in the sport,” Abdelaziz told Submission Radio. “Like him or hate him, he is. And if he tells the UFC, ‘Hey, I want a title shot,’ Islam wants a title shot, that can be the next title shot. Islam’s not going to say no to this fight. It’s a big fight, it’s a big name, it’s a lot more money.”
It’s no secret that Abdelaziz isn’t a fan of McGregor. He was a target in McGregor’s trash talk in the build up to the Khabib Nurmagomedov fight at UFC 229 – the highest-selling pay-per-view in company history.
“The guy’s a massive star,” Abdelaziz said. “I think he’s a piece of sh*t, but he is a massive star. You can’t take this away from him. With the history with Khabib and with him and with Islam, it will be all over again. It’ll be all over again and it’ll be one of the biggest fights you can make today.
“One thing I know about Dana White, he likes money and he likes business. That’s why the UFC is so big right now. You have Dana, you have Hunter, you have Sean, you have Mick. They are great minds, and they put on the biggest fights that can sell the most pay per views.”
Abdelaziz has his hesitations on McGregor’s form after “The Notorious” has been constantly seen partying in the lead-up to his fight with Chandler.
“Conor has to get off the bottle and he has to leave the drugs alone and focus,” Abdelaziz said. “The guy was a two-division champion, and he has talent. But is the hard work now there or not there anymore? You have to ask him this question.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 303.
