Conor McGregor Next Fight: UFC's Top Star Named Significant Underdog In Suspected 2018 Return

Conor McGregor UFC — Irish mixed martial arts superstar Conor McGregor arrives to talk to the press after he pleaded guilty to a single violation of disorderly conduct, in Brooklyn Criminal Court on July 26, 2018. TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images

Now that Conor McGregor’s legal troubles are behind him, the MMA world is waiting for the sport’s No.1 star to get back inside the octagon. The former two-division champion is targeting a fight with UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, though no deal has been made.

Whether the fighters meet on Oct. 6 in Las Vegas, on Nov. 3 at Madison Square Garden in the main event of UFC 230, or at another event in 2018, McGregor will be in for one of the toughest bouts of his career.

With a fight potentially coming before the end of the year, McGregor has been named a decided underdog. Bovada.lv (via OddsShark) gives the sport’s biggest draw +180 betting odds to defeat Nurmagomedov, while the champ is a -230 favorite against McGregor.

Nurmagomedov won the vacant lightweight title on April 7 with a unanimous decision victory over Al Iaquinta. It put his career MMA record at a perfect 26-0, and he’s won all 10 of his UFC fights.

It’s been less than a year since McGregor competed in combat sports, taking on Floyd Mayweather in his professional boxing debut last August. But the Dublin native hasn’t had an MMA fight in nearly two years, last defeating Eddie Alvarez for the 155-pound belt on Nov. 12, 2016 with a second-round knockout.

McGregor was forced to drop the lightweight title after never defending it, the same way he was stripped of the featherweight championship for never again fighting at 145 pounds. He was an underdog when he knocked out Jose Aldo for the UFC featherweight title in just 13 seconds on Dec. 12, 2015.

McGregor’s last three victories have all come at different weight classes. His win over Alvarez was his only fight at 155 pounds in his pro MMA career.

Nate Diaz handed McGregor his only UFC defeat when the face of the sport jumped up from 145 pounds to 170 pounds for their UFC 196 bout. McGregor won their rematch at UFC 202 by unanimous decision, and a rubber match between the two fighters might be the biggest possible fight the company can make.

McGregor-Nurmagomedov would be a major draw, as well, and the winner could arguably be recognized as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport.