Conor McGregor's stunning loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 threw any plans that he might have had into an instant tailspin. Any thoughts of a Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor rematch were probably dashed .
The aftermath of Poirier pummeling McGregor toward a second-round TKO (punches) early Sunday morning had "The Notorious" limping into the bowels of the Etihad Arena on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi — due to Poirier's vicious calf kicks — and expressing that the loss was "heartbreaking," that "my leg is completely dead" and how he's unsure of his next move.
All that being said, "The Notorious" admitted that he needs to be more active. Despite the setback, McGregor still has plenty of options for his next fight in the Octagon. Here, DAZN News names three possible fights for McGregor (22-5) following his loss to Poirier at UFC 257.
Dustin Poirier trilogy
Minutes after losing to Poirier, McGregor seemed to entertain and want a trilogy with Poirier, so he could figure out how to thwart leg kicks and attempt to nudge the series, 2-1 in his favor. Even a victorious Poirier left the door open for a possible third fight with the MMA superstar.
"First off, I want to say Conor took this result very professionally. He's a pro. Nothing but respect," Poirier said, as he relished in the win in the Octagon. "We're 1-1. Maybe we have to do it again." Maybe they do.
Max Holloway rematch
McGregor defeated a young Max Holloway by unanimous decision back in August 2013. Since then, like Poirier, Holloway's fight game has vastly improved. Holloway (22-6) touts victories over the likes of Brian Ortega, Jose Aldo, Frankie Edgar and most recently Calvin Kattar. If Holloway is indeed the all-time greatest featherweight in UFC history, McGregor would certainly want to challenge that status. And why not?
The two fan favorites would generate a ton of interest going into a rematch and the fight has all the ingredients to deliver must-see fireworks in the Octagon. McGregor even told UFC Arabia prior to the Poirier fight that a rematch with Holloway is "in the pipeline, for sure." Fans would love to see it.
Nate Diaz trilogy
Well, why the hell not? McGregor and Diaz had themselves two electric wars that entertained MMA fans thoroughly. Diaz made McGregor tap to a second-round submission (rear-naked choke) in March 2016 and McGregor exacted revenge five months later by having his hand raised in a majority decision over the Stockton, California native.
If a third fight comes to fruition, you already know that these two are going to go at it. From two prior tastes of this rivalry, we also know that the buildup toward a trilogy scrap and the words these two would exchange will be dynamic to say the least.