McGregor widens scope, ready to introduce 'red panty night' to UFC lightweights

UFC President Dana White used to be the guy pumping the breaks on inter-divisional superfights. But with UFC superstar Conor McGregor now targeting a slew of 155-pounders, the boss may be changing his stance.

In response to UFC interim featherweight champ McGregor’s declaration of a likely move to lightweight with success over champ Jose Aldo, White didn’t seem opposed to the idea.

“When guys want to move weight classes, that’s a tough weight class for Conor to make that weight, I don’t really mess with people who want to move,” White said today during a press conference in support of the UFC’s fall and winter schedule, “Go Big.” “The only one I’ve ever really talked about it with is Frankie Edgar, when Frankie fought at 155 (pounds). I’ll admit that, I terrorized him to move to 145. But other than that, I don’t really mess with guys when they want to move a weight class.

“They know their bodies; they know what’s going on, and we’ll see how that thing plays out.”

McGregor (18-2 MMA, 6-0 UFC) claims he’ll have cleaned out the division if he can take out Aldo (25-1 MMA, 7-0 UFC) when they meet on Dec. 12 at UFC 194. At today’s press conference, he proceeded to make a few new enemies at lightweight, insulting champ Rafael dos Anjos (24-7 MMA, 13-5 UFC) and No. 1 contender Donald Cerrone (28-6 MMA, 15-3 UFC), who meet Dec. 19 at UFC on FOX 17.

“I can make you rich,” McGregor crowed at dos Anjos. “I’ll change your bum life. When you sign to fight me, it’s a celebration. You ring back home, you ring your wife – baby, we’ve done it. We’re rich, baby. Conor McGregor made us rich. Break out the red panties.”

Dos Anjos in turn called the popular Irish champ “easy money.” Cerrone said McGregor would get “bent over” in the lightweight division as a smaller fighter among big men.

McGregor, of course, was quick on the comeback and called Cerrone “stiff” before declaring the lightweight division to be “stuck in the mud.”

In fact, Mcgregor won his first major accolade at 155 pounds as the champion of the international-themed Cage Warriors Fighting Championship. But without question, he faced a lower caliber of competition as opposed to in the UFC, where the lightweight class is the second most populated of all divisions.

McGregor undoubtedly has been a boon for the promotion at featherweight, drawing over 2,000 Irish fans to Las Vegas’ MGM Grand in support of his headliner against short-notice replacement Chad Mendes at July’s UFC 189.

White previously hasn’t been eager to allow champions to migrate from division to division, often claiming more work needs to be done before a champion moves up or down a division. So far, only UFC Hall of Famers B.J. Penn and Randy Couture have successfully won titles in different classes.

McGregor’s marketability perhaps gives him a little bit more flexibility than others when it comes to high-risk attempts at other titles. But as Cerrone pointed out, the Irish fighter has one big hurdle standing in his way – Aldo, who’s defended his belt seven times.

Until that is cleared, McGregor’s plans are like so many previous conversations around fighters restless at their weight – highly speculative.

For more on UFC 194, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

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