Conor McGregor wants “to go for the triple crown” vs. Islam Makhachev

Conor McGregor has teased returns to the cage multiple times over the years, but he has recently indicated a desire to fight Islam Makhachev. A clash with the welterweight kingpin would put McGregor into rarefied air in the UFC, if he got his desired outcome, with no UFC fighter holding gold across three weight categories. The notion of achieving that unprecedented feat of becoming a three-division UFC champion seems to be on the mind of ‘The Notorious’ lately.

The former two-division UFC champion has teased a return to the octagon on the mapped-out UFC White House event for the Summer. McGregor mentioned that the negotiations for that would likely be firmed up circa February, per a recent quote he gave to a Bloody Elbow reporter. While Michael Chandler has long been referenced as a return opponent for Conor McGregor, it seems like he has quite lofty aspirations for his subsequent efforts by mentioning a desire to vie for Makhachev’s belt.

When describing his mindset as it relates to feeling more revitalized and ready to return to competition, McGregor said [via MMA Junkie],

“I’m motivated. I’m self-motivated, and I for sure want a crack at that belt. I for sure want a crack at that 170-pound belt to go for the triple crown. … Good fight, be a good scrap. Southpaw vs. southpaw. It was a good performance out of him, and fair play, he had the courage to do it, to go up. So yeah, I’m excited for it. Let’s see what happens. Let’s get back in the mix.”

Conor McGregor’s welterweight ledger in the UFC

Conor McGregor has had three welterweight bouts in the UFC, and he has posted a 2-1 record at 170 pounds. His first foray to 170 pounds came in a massive matchup against Nate Diaz, with the Stockton fighter submitting McGregor.

The sophomore welterweight contest for McGregor also came against Diaz, with the Irish combatant tying up the series with both of those fights transpiring in 2016.

The final welterweight bout that McGregor took part in within the octagon’s confines is the last recognized victory on his record. In that outing, McGregor recorded a sub-one-minute striking-based finish against Donald Cerrone during their showdown in early 2020.