Today Conor McGregor agreed a plea deal stemming from charges following a melee at a UFC media event at the Barclay's Center in New York.
The 30-year-old had all felony charges dismissed but has been sentenced to five days community service. He will also have to take part in an anger management programme. The Dubliner has also paid for damage caused to a bus.
The major fallout from the decision has been the fact that the Dubliner is now free to continue his career in the UFC. The most obvious fight to make is the one with current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, and MMA journalist Ariel Helwani believes there are three possible dates for the Notorious to face off with his Russian adversary.
Speaking outside the court McGregor was sentenced at, Helwani stated that October 6th in Las Vegas is the date the UFC want McGregor to return to action but also proffered two other options:
If they can't get it done for October 6th there's also that December 29th date in Las Vegas in the T-Mobile arena. Right now November 3rd at Madison Square Garden, which would obviously be a huge platform - Irish population here Russia population here - isn't the date that's being discussed but you never know, there's really three on the table at the moment, that would be a distant third.
October 6th is to me what everyone wants first and foremost, most importantly that's what the UFC wants
Live from Brooklyn to discuss what’s next for Conor McGregor. https://t.co/GvgjcSQYsU
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) July 26, 2018
Helwani also revealed that McGregor is already deep into negotiations with the UFC regarding his next step with the company:
Audi Attar Conor McGregor's managed told me they are currently in the red zone as far as that deal is concerned and I know that there are a lot of European and international fight fans who may not know what that means, but red zone is a pro football term here in America, an American football term, basically if you have a 100 yard football field and you're starting at the zero yard line to get to the end zone where you score a touchdown, you need to go 100 yards. Well the last 2o yards are considered the red zone.
Being in the red zone is a very good thing. It means that things are going well.
McGregor issued a brief statement outside the court in which he thanks the DA for allowing him to move forward:
