At times it's entirely necessary to carry around a big bag of scepticism when it comes to the UFC. Bluff and bluster has, for better or worse, become such an integral part of the game that you simply can't take things as stated without considering the possibility that it is simply pure and utter bullshit.
Conor McGregor has a lot to answer for in that regard. Of course, it didn't all start with him (not by a long shot) but he's raised the game to the extent that the rest of the roster are all too aware that they need to sell their fights if they want anything like the McGregor treatment.
The problem with that is that not everyone can be unstoppable so you tend to hear an awful lot of nonsense coming from fighters and their entourage. Given the 'Mystic Mac' reputation, you can't really accuse McGregor of that but, as the claims get more outlandish, surely there must come a point where the featherweight champ reaches a limit of what is actually possible.
This week, rumours have kicked up a few notches when some well respected MMA commentators suggested that, should he beat Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196, Conor McGregor will be aiming for a straight shot at Robbie Lawler and the welterweight title at UFC 200. Bluff and bluster surely? That's the UFC leaking the possibility purely to blow up the McGregor balloon a little bit more. It has to be. But now, thanks to John Kavanagh, we can't help but think, what if?
Writing in his latest column for the 42.ie, McGregor coach has changed his tune significantly about the possibility of McGregor moving to welterweight in 2016. Last month, Kavanagh suggested that he 'would not be at all surprised if we’re preparing to go for a third belt a year from now'.
However, in this month's column, replying to the latest rumours about a move to welterweight in time for the July 9th card, Kavanagh has suggested that a fight against Lawler is certainly not beyond McGregor's reach.
It’s not something we have discussed specifically but after Conor wins the lightweight belt, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if the next fight is for the welterweight belt.
Kavanagh is not one to spout unnecessary bullshit. He knows his man better than anyone and if he says it's possible, you can't help but take him at his word. But is it all not just ignoring the obvious. Without his size/reach advantage is McGregor not just a lamb to the slaughter with Lawler?
Not so according to Kavanagh.
Conor has a sort of unusual body type in that even though he can make featherweight, he’s still a very big lightweight. Given some time, as well as a bit of strength and conditioning work, he could also be a force at welterweight.
Obviously enough, this is all just hearsay at this moment in time. There's the small matter of the lightweight title to win first but, if McGregor is as dominant at that level as he expects to be then you can't help but wonder what's next. We're still expecting Khabib Nurmagomedov to have something to say at lightweight when he finally gets back into the Octagon but if McGregor really does fancy a shot at the welterweight belt as Kavanagh suspects, then you'd have to think there'll be no one from the UFC who wants to stand in his way.
