CONOR McGREGOR HAS made no secret of the fact that a move to the lightweight division is part of his plans for the future.
It’s widely believed that apart from Jose Aldo, McGregor’s next opponent, only Frankie Edgar is likely to face the Irishman while he remains at featherweight.
However, Max Holloway is keen on a rematch with McGregor and subsequently wants him to extend his stay in the 145lbs weight class.
Holloway — who lost to McGregor via unanimous decision in August 2013 — admits that a move to lightweight will eventually be on his agenda also, but for now he wants a second shot at ‘The Notorious’ as a featherweight.
“I’m only 23, I turn 24 at the end of the year. I’m growing. I’m not going to stay at 145 forever. I’ll probably only be at 145 in the next couple of years, who knows?” said Holloway, who’s in Dublin this week to attend UFC Fight Night 76 as a guest fighter.
“I don’t think [McGregor] should leave the division yet. We’ve got some unfinished business and he’s got a lot of guys to fight here. He should stay down a little bit longer.”
Next up for Holloway is a meeting with Jeremy Stephens at UFC 194 on 12 December — the same night McGregor and Aldo clash in a featherweight title unification bout. When asked to make his prediction for that fight, Holloway said it’s a difficult one to call due to the UFC’s new ban on intravenous rehydration (IV) after weigh-ins.
According to the Hawaiian, McGregor wasn’t very impressive in his UFC 189 win against Chad Mendes in July, and the arduous weight cut was to blame.
Holloway: “The two of them [Aldo and McGregor] are big boys at 145. With that IV ban, I think it had an effect on McGregor in the last one. He didn’t look like the amazing McGregor that everybody’s used to.
“He looked kind of flat and that’s to do with the weight. With the IV ban happening, I don’t know how that main event ends up.”
When The42 starts doing liveblogs of a Chinese football match i’ll start getting worried.
I’d say Spurs weren’t too worried when they saw the Chinese coming with a wheelbarrow of cash for Paulinho.
Probably could have held out for more considering the prices paid last month.
Howe can rest easy. For the time being it will be just the pure mercenaries or past their prime veterans who’ll move to China. Those players who wish for a successful rewarding career playing challenging football will remain in Europe.
It could be a blessing in disguise for the English national side. Their players might actually get a game. From a wider European perspective, it wouldn’t be great for the not-quite-top-class national teams like Sweden or Croatia to have players scattered all over the globe. I can’t imagine South American teams benefit from having most of their players based in European leagues half the world away.
It’s all fantasy at the moment anyway. The Chinese economy could go t*ts up yet.
I think his Bournemouth players are safe for now
Nothing to see here. It’s only going to ever attract a certain type of player (i.e. not very good and offered crazy money or coming to the end of their career and looking for one big pay day). I don’t think the best players in the world would ever turn down an opportunity to play for Barcelona, Real, etc to play in China
Does nobody realize there is a cap of four non AFC players per team? It’s literally impossible for the CSL to raid the premiership
Unlikely in the short to medium term I would say. There are millions of kids all over the world with the talent and/or potential to make it at the highest level. Those that do have a drive and ambition (and luck) that put them ahead of the rest.
That ambition can’t be to chase the money playing football at an inferior standard while also living in China. The elite will want to play in the top leagues until something drastic happens. Journey-man pros, those failing to reach the heights in top leagues they thought they would, or the “one last job” group will always be exceptions.
There will need to be a massive culture change in world football for this to ever change, which would require some sort of real global league or Champions League played across a season. That is not even a prospect as of now.
Anyone remember the J-league?