Conor McGregor

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight double-champion Conor McGregor tweeted Saturday that he plans to fight at middleweight at some point in the future.

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McGregor's comments come after he recently posted a video of his training where he was tagged as a middleweight. The video shows a clearly bulked up McGregor:

The nighty nights. https://t.co/PRIY8Zv2bj

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 17, 2022

Since suffering back-to-back losses against Dustin Poirier in 2021, McGregor has yet to announce his return to the ring. He has been working his way back from a broken left fibula and tibia suffered in a bout against Poirier at UFC 264.

The Irishman said during an Instagram live session in October that he was targeting a return in "early 2023." At this point, it's unclear what weight class McGregor would fit into and who his next opponent would be.

UFC president Dana White also said recently that he isn't sure when McGregor will return. The 34-year-old must first re-enter the United States Anti-Doping Agency's testing pool for at least six months before he can fight again.

However, he could be given an exemption to return if he provides two negative drug tests. He said in November that he will be clear for testing in February and intends to begin the process in hopes of being granted an exemption to book a fight.

UFC star Conor McGregor says he and his father are being sued by Artem Lobov for defamation in addition to compensation his former training partner is seeking for the sale of the Proper Twelve Irish Whiskey brand.

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Lobov, a former MMA fighter, sued McGregor earlier this month, claiming he is entitled to 5 percent of the $600 million sale of Proper Twelve that took place in 2021.

"My client is a retired professional fighter with a master's degree from DCU in Finance and Capital Markets," Lobov's attorney, Dermot McNamara, said. "We have issued High Court proceedings on his behalf to enforce an agreement with Mr. McGregor regarding the Proper No. 12 whiskey brand. My client was the initial creator and co-founder of the concept to launch an Irish whiskey brand associated with Mr. McGregor. As these matters are now before the court, we will not be making any further comment."

Lobov has publicly claimed on a number of occasions that he planted the idea of selling Irish whiskey to McGregor. According to the Russian's account of events, McGregor was initially considering partnering with Game of Thrones actor Hafþór Björnsson on a vodka business. Lobov then presented McGregor with the idea of Irish whiskey instead, which he found to be the better business plan.

“I said to him before you even look any further, ‘Here’s what I know about Irish whiskey.’ I told him about my presentation from college," Lobov told Jordan Ellis of TalkSport. "I told him about the dominance of Irish whiskey and all of that. He said, ‘You go off and see what deal you can put together’ and I went on my way.”

McGregor allegedly offered to pay Lobov $1 million for his work, a deal Lobov declined. A 5 percent stake of McGregor's $600 million sale would be around $30 million.

McGregor has denied the claims, calling Lobov a "rat" in a since-deleted tweet.

Islam Makhachev is the new UFC lightweight champion after defeating Charles Oliveira by second-round submission at UFC 280 on Saturday.

Former UFC featherweight and lightweight double champion Conor McGregor isn't impressed, however. In since-deleted tweets, the 34-year-old said he's capable of beating Makhachev, citing his experience versus "s--t."

MMA Fighting Newswire provided the quotes.

"Nice fight. nice performance. I have built all the tools to beat this style now versus before. Experience vs. s***. Face breaking shots from clinch and baby brain batter shots from bottom. And the rest of my repertoire yous know. Steel left leg. Cannon back hand. Wrist control.

"The thought of shutting down this system of fighting with my own developed system is quite intriguing to me. Whoever of them against. It’s not personal. It’s a skill evaluation and a fight. Even through generations. The [IMMAF’s], amateurs. A war of attrition. To the box."

McGregor is working his way back to the Octagon with an eye toward a comeback in 2023 after suffering a broken leg during a match with Dustin Poirier in July 2021. He is 22-6 for his professional MMA career with 19 knockouts, including a 15-match win streak.

The 31-year-old Makhachev is 23-1 lifetime with 11 submission wins and four knockouts. He's currently on an 11-match win streak.

If he's not the featherweight GOAT, he'll do until the featherweight GOAT gets here.

Jose Aldo retired Sunday at the age of 36. Assuming it sticks, the surefire Hall of Famer rides off into the MMA sunset with a 31-8 record and extended featherweight title reigns in the WEC and UFC, where he defended the strap seven times—the most of any featherweight and tied for fifth for the longest such streak in company history.

Aldo has toyed with the idea of retiring from MMA and perhaps taking up boxing—something that could still be on the table—for several years now. Still, the exact timing of the announcement came as a surprise to most onlookers.

That won't stop us from celebrating a legendary career. "Legendary" probably gets thrown around too much, but Aldo deserves the designation. Need more proof? Consider the seven fighters he left in his wake during his UFC title run: Mark Hominick, Kenny Florian, Frankie Edgar, the Korean Zombie, Ricardo Lamas and Chad Mendes twice. That's a 2010s who's who at 145 pounds.

But enough about records and stats. Let's let the man and his handiwork speak for themselves, shall we? Here are the biggest fights of Aldo's career—even in defeat, Aldo left an indelible mark on the sport.

5. Aldo Schools the Cub

Event: WEC 48

Date: June 7, 2009

Result: Aldo def. Cub Swanson by TKO, 0:08, Rd. 1

This match was over so quickly, you might have missed the knee that did the job. But you didn't miss Swanson crumpling over like a sack of doorknobs, and you certainly didn't miss the resulting flesh wound on Swanson's head.

For as great a career as he's had, it took years for Swanson to live this down.

This was a featherweight title eliminator in the WEC—the prime destination for lighter-weight fighters in the years before the UFC added them. The performance moved Aldo to 15-1 on his career and put him in a prominent place in the MMA landscape, where he'd stay for the next 13 years.

4. Aldo Falls to McGregor in All-Time Iconic Clash

Event: UFC 194

Date: December 12, 2015

Result: Conor McGregor def. Aldo by KO, 0:13, Rd. 1

What's good for the goose, eh?

We're not here to revel in what few losses Aldo sustained, but a list of his biggest fights wouldn't be complete without this one, as it's probably one of the most-celebrated contests in UFC history.

McGregor, at the height of his powers, predicted a knockout against Aldo. Not only did he deliver that knockout, winning the featherweight title in the process, but he also did so in the precise way he predicted.

This is the fight that made McGregor a star. Since he's the biggest star in the history of his sport, well, you kind of have to mention it.

Consider it a compliment to Aldo. Without his mystique as a nigh-unbeatable champion, the win isn't nearly as shocking or magical.

3. Aldo Asserts Dominance Against Edgar

Event: UFC 156

Date: February 2, 2013

Result: Aldo def. Edgar by unanimous decision (49-46, 49-46, 48-47)

In the first of their two meetings (Aldo won both), Aldo put on a master class. Sadly for the casual and bloodthirsty among us, it was a subtle master class. For the rest, it was a look at a wizard at the height of his powers.

Per UFC stats, Edgar only managed to connect on an anemic 22 percent of his strikes. The 60 significant strikes he landed over five rounds amounts to a rate of 2.4 strikes landed per minute, well below Edgar’s career mark of 3.8. Further, Aldo stopped nine of Edgar’s 11 takedown shots. In the first round, Edgar only hit Aldo five times in 34 attempts.

Aldo landed a relatively paltry 76 strikes himself, with the star being those signature leg kicks. Edgar hung tough and rallied down the stretch, but he simply wasn't on Aldo's level. Considering Edgar held gold up at 155 pounds (this was his featherweight debut), it was a cold welcome to Aldo Town.

2. Aldo Chops Down the California Kid

Event: WEC 48

Date: April 24, 2010

Result: Jose Aldo def. Urijah Faber by unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 49-45)

A moment ago, I mentioned leg kicks. This win goes down not only as perhaps the exemplar of Aldo's dedication to this particular craft, but also as one of the most memorable leg-kick destructions in the sport's history.

What longtime fan can forget that morning-after footage of Faber on crutches, thigh swollen and purple like a dead sea animal? It was a testament to the sheer meanness of Aldo’s attack, expertly fired with no windup so as to catch the opponent unawares?

It was the first time Aldo, then all of 23 years old, had defended a title of any kind. Some people still considered this Faber’s title, as The California Kid had defended it five times before losing it in a bit of a shocker to Mike Brown, whom Aldo defeated to earn the title. Faber fans viewed it as a chance to restore order.

Instead, they saw the coronation of a champion—a champion with one hell of a leg kick.

1. Aldo Fells Mendes, Jumps Into the Crowd

Event: UFC 142

Date: January 14, 2012

Result: Aldo def. Mendes by KO, 4:59, Rd. 1

This win had it all. No Aldo highlight reel is complete without it.

For the first time in his major-league MMA career, the champ fought in his hometown of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Mendes had been spoiling for a title shot for some time and entered the contest with a perfect 11-0 record.

The first round unfolded in unremarkable fashion, with the two men trading range-finding jabs and leg kicks. Nothing landed with much authority for either side.

Mendes did his best to make an impression, but Aldo was a brick wall. The D-1 college wrestler tried no fewer than seven takedowns—each and every one of them rebuffed. He finally used a waist lock to tie Aldo up along the fence in the final moments. That plus a slight edge in striking output looked like it might have swung a close round to the challenger.

And then came the knee.

With no warning, Aldo spun out of the waistlock and landed a knee square on Mendes' forehead. The shot was so hard, so perfectly placed, that it sent Mendes almost literally flying backward. The ref waved off the bout shortly thereafter.

That's when the fun began.

Aldo leapt over the cage, and before officials could reach him, he darted into the crowd. The joyous Rio faithful swallowed him up, engulfing their hero in a sea of adoration.

Over the years, there were accusations that Aldo, both in and out of the cage, was a little wooden, a little reluctant to play the game. Those accusers should watch this knockout and the moments that followed it. It's one of the most exhilarating sequences in UFC history, and it's the crown jewel of Aldo's formidable list of career highlights.

Retired boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. told Charlotte Daly of the Daily Mail on Wednesday that he was in "talks" with Conor McGregor to stage a rematch in 2023, either as a professional bout or an exhibition.

McGregor quickly responded on Instagram, writing "✌️ #notinterested" alongside a picture of him hitting Mayweather with an uppercut.

Mayweather won the first matchup between the two in 2017 by 10th-round TKO. It was McGregor's first professional boxing match after he won both the UFC's featherweight and lightweight championships.

Since fighting Mayweather, however, McGregor is just 1-3 in the Octagon, with losses to Khabib Nurmagomedov and Dustin Poirier (twice).

McGregor, who has spent the past year-plus away from fighting as he recovers from a broken leg suffered against Poirier in July 2021, said in May that he plans to return to both boxing and the UFC in the future.

"Boxing is my first love in combat sports. I had such a great time the last time I was out there," he told Sky Sports at the Monaco Grand Prix. "Obviously, my return will be in the Octagon for UFC—that story is far from over. In fact it's just being written; it is just the beginning. But, boxing, for sure I will grace the squared circle again in the future."

Mayweather, meanwhile, said he would prefer to face McGregor in an exhibition fight.

He told Daly:

"I am not into fights where I am going to take any real punishment. So, guys like McGregor and guys that don't really hit hard such as YouTubers or UFC guys, I don't really mind colliding with those kinds of individuals but nothing where I am going to put myself in a position where I am going to harm myself or hurt myself."

That, of course, presumes the two will actually face off again. It's unclear if Mayweather was just fishing to gauge both McGregor's interest in a rematch and public intrigue in such a fight, or if McGregor was denying his interest as a publicity stunt or as a negotiation tactic.

It's boxing—most of the drama and fireworks happen before the punches are thrown. That phenomenon is tripled anytime either Mayweather or McGregor are involved. So despite McGregor's response Wednesday, don't be surprised if this story doesn't go away.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is tentatively planning for a rematch with Conor McGregor in 2023, he confirmed to Charlotte Daly of the Daily Mail.

"We don't know if it's going to be an exhibition or a real fight," Mayweather said. "But there's been talks of both. I would prefer an exhibition."

The boxing legend added he's "not into fights where I am going to take any real punishment."

Left unspoken was how the 45-year-old may also want to avoid putting his unblemished 50-0 record at stake.

Since earning a TKO victory over McGregor in 2017, Mayweather has limited himself to unofficial exhibitions. He has fought Tenshin Nasukawa, Logan Paul and Don Moore, and the Michigan native will box MMA fighter Mikuru Asakura on Sunday.

McGregor, meanwhile, has seen his fortunes in the Octagon take a hit. Since fighting Mayweather, he has lost three of his last four fights in UFC. The 34-year-old has been out for more than a year since his last bout, when he suffered a broken tibia against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.

Tim Simpson, McGregor's manager, told MMA Junkie's Farah Hannoun and Mike Bohn in August his client's leg was "still healing," so his return to competition won't come until 2023.

An exhibition against Mayweather would allow McGregor to cash a big paycheck while putting less stress on his surgically repaired left leg.

Their full earnings were never confirmed, but Mayweather and McGregor were guaranteed a purse of $100 million and $30 million, respectively, in 2017. That didn't include their shares of the live gate and pay-per-view revenue.

For McGregor, the dilemma is probably whether he wants to commit to an event that will extend his MMA hiatus. He's fallen to 11th in the lightweight rankings, and he isn't getting any younger.

If McGregor wants to be a UFC champion again, then he may have to prioritize a return to the Octagon over a more lucrative venture with Mayweather.

Conor McGregor declared Saturday morning that a third fight between himself and Nate Diaz will happen at some point.

McGregor made the statement as part of a tweet in which he congratulated Diaz on having the final fight of his UFC contract at UFC 279 on Saturday night:

Congrats Nate Diaz on making it to the end of his contractual obligations with the UFC, and as a bonafide superstar goer. An incredible feat. Fair play.
Our trilogy will happen.

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 10, 2022

Diaz was originally supposed to face Khamzat Chimaev, but when the latter missed weight on Friday, Tony Ferguson was installed as Diaz's opponent. At the conclusion of the main event of UFC 279, Diaz will have fulfilled his contractual obligations to UFC.

There is seemingly no imminent end in sight to McGregor's UFC deal, meaning Diaz would either have to sign a new contract with UFC or McGregor would have to wait for his UFC contract to expire in order for them to fight for a third time.

McGregor, 34, is widely regarded as one of the greatest fighters and biggest draws in UFC history. He was once viewed as perhaps the best pound-for-pound fighter as well, but it was Diaz who put a stop to that.

Entering UFC 196 in 2016, McGregor owned a career professional record of 19-2 and hadn't lost since 2010. Shockingly, Diaz beat him by submission with a rear-naked choke in the second round.

McGregor got revenge in somewhat controversial fashion at UFC 202, beating Diaz by majority decision.

Since that win, McGregor is just 2-3, including losing back-to-back losses against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 and 264. He broke his leg at UFC 264 in July 2021 and hasn't fought since.

The 37-year-old Diaz has struggled since beating McGregor, losing three of his past four bouts. He was away for three years after losing to McGregor before returning to beat Anthony Pettis at UFC 241.

Diaz followed that up with losses to Jorge Masvidal and Leon Edwards at UFC 244 and 263, respectively, but he is looking to end his UFC tenure on a high note Saturday.

While Diaz's future in MMA is very much in question, there would likely be plenty of interest in a Diaz vs. McGregor trilogy fight given how entertaining their first two encounters were.