Some MMA fans were left scratching their heads when news broke Conor McGregor’s return to the UFC would be at 170 pounds.
At UFC 246 on Jan. 18, McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) will return to action to take on Donald Cerrone in the pay-per-view’s main event. Both men have most recently competed at lightweight. So why is the matchup taking place at welterweight?
On 101.6-FM in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, UFC president Dana White explained why the two former lightweights will fight at 170 pounds. According to White, McGregor asked for it.
“Conor is going to fight at 170 for this fight,” White said, “mainly because he doesn’t want to have to cut the weight to 155. Him and Cerrone have both fought at 170.”
In addition to the weight cut, White said McGregor’s main intent in fighting at welterweight will be to allow him a quick turnaround time. With lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov booked to fight Tony Ferguson in April, McGregor wants to be the next man in line.
“He’s hoping that he beats Cerrone and can turn right around and fight Khabib as quick as possible,” White said. “So he didn’t want to make the cut twice.”
McGregor’s last in-cage appearance was against Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 in October 2018, a title fight he lost by fourth-round submission. Both fighters were suspended following the event due to a post-fight melee that broke out when Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage.
Source: MMAjunkie.com
