Conor McGregor UFC
Conor McGregor is seen on the sidelines before the NFL game between the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium on October 14, 2018 in Arlington, Texas. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

Conor McGregor wants a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC lightweight championship, but that doesn’t mean he’ll get one. The world’s top MMA star lost a one-sided fight that concluded with a fourth-round submission, and there might not be much reason to believe a second bout would produce a different result.

The UFC has a few options for McGregor’s next fight. Nate Diaz and Tony Ferguson are near the top of the list, though a new potential opponent has emerged.

Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone is a possibility to take on McGregor. The 35-year-old has made it clear that he wants a shot at the sport’s biggest name, and a bout between the two fighters could make sense.

Cerrone submitted Mike Perry in the first round to pick up a victory Saturday night in Denver. He set a record with 21 wins in the UFC and 15 finishes. He’s one of the promotions most exciting fighters and could make for an entertaining fight against McGregor.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Just waiting on him! _. “ I know a guy” _

A post shared by Donald Cerrone (@cowboycerrone) on

Cerrone competed at lightweight through 2015 before making the jump to welterweight, though he plans to return to the 155-pound division. McGregor’s last two fights have been at 155 pounds. He faced Diaz at 170 pounds twice in 2016.

It’s been two years since McGregor was victorious inside the octagon, though he’d have the advantage over Cerrone. McGregor has been tabbed as the early favorite in a potential fight with -185 betting odds, according to OddsShark. Cerrone is a +150 underdog.

Before defeating Perry, Cerrone had lost four of his five previous fights. That included a three-fight losing streak in 2017. Before losing his last fight at lightweight on Dec. 19, 2015 against then-champion Rafael dos Anjos, Cerrone had an eight-fight winning streak at 155 pounds.

If Cerrone had beaten dos Anjos for the title in 2015, he probably would have faced McGregor in 2016. McGregor was scheduled to fight dos Anjos for the UFC lightweight championship at UFC 196 before the champion suffered an injury and was replaced by Diaz.

McGregor is currently serving an indefinite suspension from the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his role in the brawl that broke out after he lost to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. Both McGregor and Nurmagomedov are scheduled for a hearing with the NSAC on Dec. 10.

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