Madison Square Garden Needs Conor McGregor

Madison Square Garden Needs Conor McGregor

By Peter CarrollAnother cryptic press conference following UFC 202 left Conor McGregor's next move unknown to the masses. While Dana White informed the publ

Aug 25, 2016 by Duane Finley
Madison Square Garden Needs Conor McGregor
By Peter Carroll

Another cryptic press conference following UFC 202 left Conor McGregor's next move unknown to the masses. 

While Dana White informed the public that the Irishman would have to return to featherweight to defend his title or face being stripped of his championship, McGregor told the media why he feels like facing Jose Aldo for the second time doesn't make any sense. 

The division-jumping Irishman hinted at testing the waters in a different sport after his epic five-round bout with Nate, which allowed countless columnists to blow the dust off their Floyd Mayweather editorials from a couple of months back. But really, the Madison Square Garden date seems like too perfect of an opportunity for him to miss. 

'A Historic, Monumental Moment'


Back in April, Lorenzo Fertitta promised to pull out all the stops when New York finally made MMA legal.

"Our commitment to bringing incredible live events to New York starts immediately, as we've planned a major Pay-Per-View event at Madison Square Garden on November 12," Fertitta said. "It's going to be a historic, monumental moment for this sport and our passionate fans when the Octagon finally arrives in New York."

Although he is no longer at the helm of the promotion, it's almost certain that the new owners will want to make a big splash for UFC's first event at the iconic venue. 

UFC 205 has been assigned to the date, and as of yet, no fights have been announced. With Ronda Rousey being ruled out of a return on the MSG card and Jon Jones remaining suspended (despite his recent Instagram post that suggested his return was more imminent than we first thought), McGregor is the only bona fide draw available for the ground-breaking event.

Despite a six-month medical suspension potentially obscuring McGregor from the November 12 date, his coach John Kavanagh publicly stated his prize student would be available for UFC 205. 

Irish Invade the East Coast 


McGregor's two previous outings in Boston have underlined how much of a draw he is on the East Coast. He received the blackout treatment usually reserved for champions in his sophomore UFC outing against Max Holloway, and got his own media day despite his fight appearing midway through the prelim card.

Boston turned green when he main-evented against Denis Siver in January 2015. Even at a basketball game two nights before between the Chicago Bulls and the Celtics, chants of 'There's Only Conor McGregor' reverberated throughout the building. 

His second-round dispatch of Siver saw the Dubliner scale the fence and get right in the face of Jose Aldo ahead of their championship tie, which really allowed the Boston crowd to feel like a part of his surging title trajectory. 

There is an abundant Irish community in New York, too. More than 650,000 Irish docked in New York to flee from the The Great Famine in the 1800s. Given the city's ties with the Emerald Isle, it's quite possible that a McGregor fight at Madison Square Garden would sell out within minutes of the tickets being made available to the public. 

No Time For Featherweight  


With just two and a half months to go until the UFC's debut in Madison Square Garden, it's highly unlikely that McGregor will be able to get back down to featherweight ahead of the November 12 date. 

"The Notorious" traded his explosive style for a more composed, cardio-based output ahead of the Diaz rematch, and it could take far longer for him to get back to optimum shape to defend his featherweight belt. 

The UFC seems adamant McGregor has to let go of his featherweight title if he refuses to defend it. That said, the only way he is likely to give up his championship is if he is handed the opportunity to fight for another title. 

Eddie Alvarez's first title defense against Khabib Nurmagomedov appeared to be on the brink of being announced after Tony Ferguson was matched with former champion Rafael Dos Anjos. But with the lightweight champion still unmatched, McGregor could be handed an immediate title shot at 155 in what would be his first outing as UFC lightweight at Madison Square Garden.