Conor McGregor

Two petrol bombs were reportedly thrown at a pub owned by UFC star Conor McGregor in Dublin, Ireland, on Wednesday.

According to Roisin Phelan of The Sun, police said no one at The Black Forge Inn was hurt and there was no property damage.

Per TMZ Sports, McGregor's representatives said he was not in the bar at the time of the incident, but he posted video of himself inside just hours before the bombs were thrown.

One of McGregor's representatives told TMZ Sports it is unclear if McGregor was the intended target of the attack.

Phelan noted that McGregor purchased The Black Forge Inn just over two years ago in the Crumlin suburb of Dublin, which is the UFC star's hometown.

McGregor paid for $1.1 million in renovations.

The 33-year-old McGregor is among the most popular and successful fighters in MMA history, posting a 22-6 career record and winning both the UFC featherweight and lightweight titles.

Success has largely eluded McGregor recently, however, as he is 1-3 in his past four fights, with a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov and consecutive defeats against Dustin Poirier.

McGregor's latest fight occurred at UFC 264 in July, and it was stopped after one round after McGregor broke his leg, resulting in a Poirier win.

The Irishman is still working his way back from the injury, and no announcements have been made regarding when he will return to the Octagon.

Come on in. Duck under the tent flap and grab a megaphone. The circus is in town, and the B/R MMA Mailbag is in the center ring.

In this new feature, every week we'll ask you, the reader, a pressing question on the sport. Then we'll choose the best responses and assign them a semi-arbitrary grade.

With it being the new year and everything, now is the right time to ponder what 2022 has in store. This week, that means examining some of the most explosive potential matchups in the game.

The UFC has already set the tone, as UFC 270 features not one but two title fights. Plenty of eyes will be on mountain-of-a-man Francis Ngannou and his first heavyweight title defense against interim belt-holder Ciryl Gane. In the co-main we have a tantalizing trilogy fight between flyweight champ Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo, the man he defeated to gain it. Their first bout in 2020 was a draw, so this is a battle for division dominance.

There are other compelling matchups on the card as well. And it's all available to anyone willing and able to pay $74.99, the UFC's new price for pay-per-views. It's all part of the UFC's ongoing you'll-pay-it-and-you'll-like-it philosophy.

In any event, there are many, many possibilities on the landscape, from the sublime to the ridiculous. And the readers came through, providing thoughts on fights across the spectrum. Ready to get to the grades? Here we go.

           

Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor III

@Realalexlarsen

@Gardner

I hope you're sitting down. This was the most popular submission. 

In the MMA world, it seems Conor McGregor's name is as magical as it's always been. The halcyon days of the former double-champ seem like decades ago, and of course the Irishman is currently hard at work reconstituting his disintegrated leg. As you may know, legs are an important part of the MMA equation.

When he comes back, it wouldn't make sense to throw McGregor into the deep end, where lightweight champ Charles Oliveira would likely make an easy meal of him. And that's before you get to Dustin Poirier and the raft of other killers in the UFC's toughest division. 

A rubber match with Diaz up at welterweight appears to offer the perfect sweet spot. It's an easy sell from a business standpoint, as these two are arguably the two biggest stars in the sport, with the possible exception of Israel Adesanya and a few others.

Additionally, this is a winnable bout for McGregor. If he can regain his form, this is a great fight. Ring rust is also very real, as true red-line cardio is hard to approximate when the proverbial live bullets aren't flying.

But no one's watching this fight for the X's and O's. These are two megawatt personalities who are still, for now, at the height of their drawing power. It has fun written all over it. 

Final grade for Nate Diaz vs. Conor McGregor III: A

     

Nate Diaz vs. Anybody

@LT96

Wait, I'm picking up on something. My spidey sense is telling me that people really like Nate Diaz. 

Diaz is one of the few UFC fighters who's able—and willing—to demand more money than the UFC is comfortable giving. And anything with the Diaz imprimatur on it will garner intrigue, even when there's just a blank space next to his name.

A few non-Conor ideas have been bandied about. For example, there's been noise about Diaz facing YouTube luminary Jake Paul, presumably in a boxing-rules match since Paul knows full well that any decent MMA fighter would smash him into the canvas.

But this one's a non-starter now given that the UFC recently extended Diaz's contract, per MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. If you think UFC brass will let him out of that contract to face Paul or do anything else not under the UFC banner, go ahead and make your peace with the idea that they will not. 

Poirier at 170 pounds is interesting, but he doesn't need to leave lightweight to find compelling matchups or big paydays. Diaz was also briefly linked to a bout with terrifying super-prospect Khamzat Chimaev, but that was mercifully scuttled, according to Helwani. No one needs to see that.

Amid the speculation constantly swirling around the charismatic Stocktonian and his next move, it looks like the best option, like it or not, is McGregor. This pick gets creativity points for outside-the-box thinking and for reflecting the mood of the fanbase and its rabid appetite for all things Nate. But nothing outside McGregor makes a ton of sense at this juncture. 

Final grade for Nate Diaz vs. Anybody: C-

       

Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

@Saul45

@tgoat27

In a frictionless universe, this could be the best fight the UFC could make, full stop.

But friction has a way of encroaching, especially when your name is Jon Jones.

For the sake of expedience, let's largely focus on Jones' life inside the cage. Since his latest arrest in September—when he was charged with battery domestic violence and injuring and tampering with a vehicle—Jones has been kicked out of his longtime home gym and taken up residence in a smaller venue. 

If Jones' Instagram account is to be believed, he's still hard at work making the move from light heavyweight up to heavyweight.

Still, based on inertia alone, Jones' successful return to competition will only happen when it happens, if that makes sense.

This bout could lose a bit of luster if Gane can defeat the Cameroonian-Frenchman later this month—an outcome that's entirely possible. Jones recently suggested to Albuquerque TV station WRQE News 13 (h/t All About Fighting) that Gane could be a tougher matchup for him than Ngannou. But there's no question Gane's stolid style lacks the wattage of the current champ.

Even without a belt, Jones-Ngannou is as good as it gets. It's just unclear whether Jones can keep his end of the bargain.

Final grade for Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou: B+

      

Valentina Shevchenko vs. Amanda Nunes III

@Gardner

Kudos to Gardner, our first two-time entrant. Even with Amanda Nunes off-track following her recent loss to Julianna Pena, a battle between the flyweight and featherweight champs, presumably on the middle ground of 135 pounds, is appointment viewing.

This would be a trilogy fight, with Nunes taking razor-close decisions in the previous two. As Nunes comes off a loss and Shevchenko looks to avenge those defeats to cement her legacy, both would have plenty to fight for, even if a title isn't on the line. (Admittedly, a title would have made this an even grander spectacle.)

Before Pena took her bantamweight belt, Nunes was considered not only the best women's fighter today but also the best of all time. Now she may have dipped behind Shevchenko, who has been busy reducing the flyweight division to rubble.

It's hard to know whether Shevchenko's level of opponent is low or whether she's simply making them look bad, but six straight title defenses don't lie. Three stoppages in her last four and a much-improved ground game also have quieted concerns that she's boring or one-dimensional.

Meanwhile, as impressive and fearless as Pena was in bullying the bully that is Nunes, she doesn't have the same status as these two. Nunes still has withering power and would use her aggression to upset the counter-minded Shevchenko, while Shevchenko would look to play matador to the Brazilian's bull rush. 

It may have to wait until later in the year, as it looks like a Nunes-Pena rematch will come next. Shevchenko, who has been busy plugging the movie she did with Halle Berry, doesn't have another fight on the books, but she'd be a moderate-to-heavy favorite over any other flyweight. 

Fans will surely be hoping things break their way in 2022 and the UFC puts this fight on the books, maybe over the summer.

Final grade for Amanda Nunes vs. Valentina Shevchenko III: A-

        

Sean O'Malley vs. Dominick Cruz

@Miles_beard08

Sean O'Malley continued his move up the bantamweight pecking order last month with a knockout of Raulian Paiva. The power contained in those whip-like limbs of his is not to be trifled with, nor is the sheer diversity of strikes and angles he can use to attack. He's 7-1 in the UFC with five knockouts, including in each of his last three.

But here's the rub: His competition to date has been lukewarm at best. He's only faced one opponent—Marlon Vera—currently in the top 15. His only loss? Also to Vera. Several of his victims are no longer on the UFC roster or have so little activity that they might as well be gone. 

Needless to say, Cruz and his wacky, evasive style would be a great foil to O'Malley's offense. He's lost years of his career to injuries, but Cruz's Fight of the Night-winning victory over the well-regarded Pedro Munhoz in December indicated he's back and ready to be a force again at bantamweight.

Because of his championship pedigree in the weight class, Cruz will likely look upward in the rankings for his next opponent. Cory Sandhagen and Jose Aldo both make sense as a next step. Meanwhile, it's best to let the Suga Train keep rolling on down below, as the UFC keeps the kid gloves on and slowly moves its young star up the rankings. 

Final grade for Sean O'Malley vs. Dominick Cruz: B-

      

Steve-O vs. Justin Bieber

@Zoll

What happens when the cage door closes on two of the biggest UFC celebrity fans on the planet? Magic, that's what.

I mean, have you seen Justin Bieber play basketball? He's poetry out there, man. Why he isn't in the NBA, I have no idea. But pro basketball's loss is MMA's gain, and it's time for these two to put up or shut up. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCt_Yq40G74

As suggested by his genius with scoring the basketball and his serious gym work with none other than Conor McGregor, Bieber would set the tone early with an offensive barrage. 

But you know what Steve-O will say? He'll say, Bring it on, brother.

This is the same guy who has made his living falling off roofs and what not. You think he's afraid of getting hit with one of those classic Bieber right hooks? Not a chance.

Irresistible force, meet immovable object. This is one for the ages. 

Final grade on Steve-O vs. Justin Bieber: A+

           

And on that note, that does it for us. See you next week.

While many think now is the right time for a trilogy bout between Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor, the former isn't interested in another bout with the Irishman until "his leg grows back," he tweeted Friday. 

I’m not fighting Conor until his leg grows back and he beats some people so we know he can even fight still till then
Can I get on January card @ufc
Thanks

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) December 17, 2021

McGregor fractured his leg in a fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July. He hasn't fought since then, though he said last month that he could be cleared to spar by April.

Diaz and McGregor first met at UFC 196 in March 2016. Diaz upset McGregor by submission, though he lost the rematch at UFC 202 in August 2016, losing a majority decision.

Diaz has since been angling for a matchup against Poirier. However, according to Poirier, the two might not meet until UFC 271.

Maybe UFC 271 they couldn't make it happen on 270. I said yes

— The Diamond (@DustinPoirier) December 17, 2021

UFC 271 is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 12 at the Toyota Center in Houston. Israel Adesanya will be looking to retain the middleweight title against Robert Whittaker in the main event.

YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is preparing for Saturday's rematch against Tyron Woodley, but he also has his eyes on future opponents.

During an interview with Graham Bensinger, Paul was asked about the possibility of fighting UFC star Conor McGregor. Paul said he's open to it but noted that there's a major obstacle standing in the way in the form of UFC president Dana White.

"I think Dana White is the obstacle, No. 1," Paul said. "If Dana would let Conor out of his contract to set up the boxing match, I think that's what is needed to make it happen, and I think it will. I think that will happen."

McGregor is coming off back-to-back losses to UFC lightweight contender Dustin Poirier. He suffered a broken ankle in their last meeting in July and is unlikely to fight again until the middle of next year.

Paul said that his camp has a good relationship with McGregor's manager, and both sides are interested in setting up a fight between them.

"His manager is good friends with my manager, is good friends with another one of my advisors, and they talk constantly about making it happen," Paul said. "We're down, we're about it."

White has been critical of Paul in the past, questioning his boxing credentials because of the fact that he chooses his opponents and all of them have been older fighters past their prime. Paul said White is playing right into his hands.

"I think it's personal for him because he's this old guy who's clearly like a control freak, and I'm the only one who's able to get under his skin," he said.

Paul added that his feud with White is a pure strategy for him to attract fans and increase the audience for his fights.

"I'm just a young kid having fun," he said. "Dana has the audience that I want, so he doesn't realize that he's just playing into my game because I have the YouTube audience, the digital audience, the TikTok, all of that.

"What I want is the fight fans, who will pay $60, $70, $80 to see me fight, and all he's doing is making me 10 times more relevant in that space by playing my game."

Paul defeated Woodley by split decision in their first meeting in August to improve to 4-0 as a boxer.

Nate Diaz was not impressed by Dustin Poirier during UFC 269 on Saturday in Las Vegas.

After Charles Oliveira submitted Poirier in Round 3 to retain the UFC lightweight title, Diaz turned his attention to Conor McGregor:

How Conor let Dp fuck him up hella times he sucks 🤦‍♂️

— Nathan Diaz (@NateDiaz209) December 12, 2021

Poirier notably earned back-to-back TKO wins over McGregor earlier this year, leading to his title fight against Oliveira.

Diaz, meanwhile, split a pair of memorable bouts against the Irish superstar in 2016.

McGregor defended his losses to Poirier on Saturday, saying on Twitter that Poirier "got lumped around and got lucky twice. That's it. Is what it is."

The 33-year-old McGregor has just a single competitive win since 2016. Diaz, 36, has just one win since 2016 as well.

Dustin Poirier said his rivalry with Conor McGregor is a chapter of his career that "will never be closed."

Poirier, who will face off with lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in a title fight at UFC 269 on Saturday night, told TMZ Sports he can't rule out another clash with McGregor in the future.

"I don't know [about a fourth fight], we'll see what happens," he said. "[Conor and I are] in two completely different spots if I get my hand on this belt."

Poirier heads into Saturday's championship bout off two straight victories over McGregor in January and July. Both wins came via TKO.

It gave the 32-year-old American a 2-1 advantage in his rivalry with the 33-year-old Irishman, who won their first career meeting in September 2014 by knockout.

As Poirier alluded, what happens next is heavily dependent on whether he's able to overcome Oliveira to become a full-time UFC title-holder for the first time. He previously held the interim belt for five months in 2019 before losing a unification bout to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

If he becomes the new champ, he'll have a host of challengers waiting for the opportunity to face him, starting with a potential rematch against Oliveira. McGregor, who's lost three of his last four fights, probably won't be in the conversation for a title chance.

Should "The Diamond" fall short against Oliveira, however, then the door to a fourth McGregor matchup could open since their rivalry has proved it can still be a ratings draw.

"The Notorious" suffered a broken tibia in their last meeting and is still in the recovery stages. He wrote on Twitter last month he expects to receive full clearance by April and at that point would be looking at an "imminent" return to the Octagon.

That timeline would create a path to another clash with Poirier, but there are too many variables in play to predict whether that's a realistic outcome at this stage.

For now, Poirier is focused on what should be a competitive, entertaining battle with Oliveira on Saturday night.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor donated €10,000 ($11,323) to a GoFundMe set up to help MMA fighter Ian Coughlan seek treatment options after he was paralyzed in a July training accident.

TMZ Sports noted McGregor also promoted an upcoming event featuring his coach, John Kavanagh, on Dec. 18 that will benefit Coughlan:

Guys let’s get together and support this young Irish fighter who suffered a terrible injury at a gym in Ireland.
Coach John and the team at SBG are hosting a training day and my own recovery permitting, I hope to be in attendance. There will be signed fight wear also! ☘️ https://t.co/RipsCbKRIv

— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) December 2, 2021

Rayna Coughlan, who organized the GoFundMe fundraiser, wrote they are trying to raise €73,000 ($82,651) so Ian can travel to Germany for stem cell and HAL (hybrid assistive limb) treatments:

The doctors are confident that they will have Ian walking again, but at a bare minimum, the treatment will enable him to regain some independence.

Ian is a fighter at heart, he is driven, he is ambitious and he has a fire in his soul that is burning stronger than ever before. He has an abundance of life to live, he has a lot to give and he needs us to help him in this most important fight of his life.

Coughlan, 29, posted a 4-1 MMA record in the amateur ranks before turning professional in 2018. His pro record stood at 1-1, with his most recent fight taking place on the Bellator 227 card in September 2019.

He continues to receive treatment at Ireland's National Rehabilitation Hospital in Dublin while awaiting a potential move to Germany.

Conor McGregor could make his return to the Octagon in the near future after fracturing his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July.

The 33-year-old tweeted Saturday that he will be cleared to spar by April, adding, "By then a return will be imminent."

McGregor lost to Poirier with a doctor's stoppage at the end of the first round. He entered the fight with several stress fractures in his leg and probably shouldn't have been fighting in the first place.

McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, recently provided an update on the Irishman's return to the Octagon during an appearance on Submission Radio (h/t the Independent's Alex Pattle):

He's doing a lot of strength training at the moment. The guy is jacked. I think he's coming back as a middleweight! But he'll be back on the mats with me now shortly and we'll start off with combat sports training again. I actually joked with him, I said: 'Look, I'd rather if we just start off with some techniques, some drills, let's see how you're going.' And he's like: 'No, I'm going to do [five five-minute rounds], that's what I'm coming back to do.'

And I'm like: 'Oh great...' But he's very enthusiastic, very upbeat, very excited to attack 2022. And I'm not sure when he'll be back, but he'll be back.

McGregor has been linked to potential fights with Max Holloway and Nate Diaz. However, he plans to take on whoever is the UFC lightweight champion when he's ready to return, he tweeted last week, per ESPN's Marc Raimondi, who noted it could very well end up being Poirier.

Kavanagh also added that McGregor is "not so much about warm-up fights," so it should come as no surprise that he has his sights set on the UFC lightweight champion.

Kavanagh added: "Whoever he faces, he'll be highly motivated. It's clear at this stage Conor has a few quid, he's got a few dollars in the bank account. So, that's not the motivating factor at this stage, his motivating factor is competition and to improve himself and to test himself against whoever it is."

In addition to UFC 264, McGregor also lost to Poirier at UFC 257 in January via a second-round TKO. He has just one win since 2016, a first-round TKO of Donald Cerrone at UFC 246.

McGregor is 22-6 in his career.