Another day, another wild proclamation from Conor McGregor. This time, the brash 145-pound champion stated a desire to challenge for the welterweight belt. You’ve got to admire the self-confidence of a fighter who hasn’t even beaten Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight championship. Still, it’s fun to think of a few welterweight matchups for McGregor, who’d be fighting two divisions above his current weight class.
IS IT EVEN PLAUSIBLE?
McGregor at 155? Sure. He’s a huge featherweight and you could argue that lightweight should probably be his natural weight class. But McGregor at 170? Hold up. McGregor reportedly walks around at about 180 pounds, so he could make the weight cut to 170 easily. Still, there are a lot of welterweights that walk around at 195, even 200 pounds.
McGregor is about 5’9”. Johny Hendricks, the former welterweight champion, is the same height. Current champ Robbie Lawler and GOAT Georges St. Pierre are listed at 5’10. So height wouldn’t be too much of an issue, but then you’ve got guys like Carlos Condit, who’s 6’2” and Dong Hyun Kim at 6’1”. It’s safe to say that in any welterweight matchup, McGregor would have to overcome some major physical disadvantage.
Still, we’re here to do some hypothetical matchmaking, so let’s look at some possible welterweight bouts for McGregor and project some odds.
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TAMING THE WRESTLER
Conor McGregor +250
Johny Hendricks -300
This might be the fight that would make McGregor realize just how difficult it would be to fight at 170. If Chad Mendes, a small featherweight, can take him down, it’s easy to imagine what Hendricks could do to him. While McGregor and Hendricks are the same height, you only need to glance at the two to see that Hendricks is the much more bigger man, in terms of natural body muscle.
STRIKER VS. STRIKER
Conor McGregor +175
Stephen Thompson -150
“Wonderboy” Thompson is one of the flashiest strikers in the division, with a decorated kickboxing background. In other words, he’s the perfect opponent for McGregor, who possesses an endless arsenal of flashy strikes. Again, size would be an issue. McGregor is a master of using his length against lighter weight fighters, but Thompson would have a three-inch height advantage, nullifying one of the Irishman’s greatest weapons.
THREE-DIVISION CHAMPION?
Conor McGregor +300
Robbie Lawler -350
Let’s say McGregor beats Rafael dos Anjos and somehow convinces the UFC to let him face Lawler, who’s the current champion. The result would be a bloodbath, because that’s how every Robbie Lawler fight ends up. It’s like Lawler doesn’t really get going until he gets tagged with a big shot.
It’d be a classic matchup of speed vs. power, because while Lawler holds the edge in size and strength, McGregor has a definitive advantage in speed and movement. It’s be a joy to watch Lawler stalk his prey, with McGregor using every trick in his book to stay at range. But in the end, size matters - which is why Lawler would be a huge favorite.
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