Daily Debate: Who's next for UFC champ Khabib Nurmagomedov? Is Dustin Poirier a dark horse?

The UFC lightweight division is wide open for new champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, so who gets the first crack at his title?

It’s the question we posed in our Daily Debate feature for MMAjunkie Radio, and the results were pretty lopsided. But a dark-horse candidate emerged.

In this past weekend’s UFC 223 pay-per-view headliner, Nurmagomedov (26-0 MMA, 10-0 UFC) dominated late replacement Al Iaquinta (13-4-1 MMA, 8-3 UFC) to become undisputed lightweight champion.

So, what’s next? We posed that question to MMAjunkie readers and MMAjunkie Radio listeners, and there was a clear leader: recently stripped titleholder Conor McGregor (via Twitter):

Of course, that could be easier said than done.

This past week as UFC 223 media day concluded in Brooklyn, N.Y., McGregor (21-3 MMA, 9-1 UFC) and members of his team appeared to attack a bus containing fighters and their teams. Various video appear to show McGregor throwing a dolly through a window of the bus. He faces two felony charges for criminal mischief and 10 misdemeanors, and civil lawsuits are a real possibility.

McGregor’s fighting future may be in flux, but Nurmagomedov vs. McGregor is clearly the fight fans want to see.

Sure, Tony Ferguson (23-3 MMA, 13-1 UFC), who pulled out of UFC 223 with an injury, garnered a portion of the vote, but UFC President Dana White seems unwilling to try booking an ill-fated Nurmagomedov vs. Ferguson bout again. Former UFC champ and MMA legend Georges St-Pierre (26-2 MMA, 20-2 UFC) also got some votes.

But an intriguing option could come from that “Other” option. In the video above, MMAjunkie Radio host George Garcia explains why Dustin Poirier(22-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC), who meets Justin Gaethje (18-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on FOX 29 headliner, could be an option.

Check it out above.

For complete coverage of UFC 223, check out the UFC Events section of the site. And for more on UFC on FOX 29, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.

MMAjunkie Radio broadcasts Monday-Friday at 1 p.m. ET (10 a.m. PT) live from Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino’s Race & Sports Book. The show is hosted by “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia and Dan Tom. For more information or to download past episodes, go to www.mmajunkie.com/radio.