Who would have thought, when Conor McGregor and Cody Garbrandt clashed on the set of The Ultimate Fighter in 2015, that there would be a genuine chance of witnessing them collide in the Octagon?
At that point McGregor had just become the interim UFC featherweight champion while ‘No Love’ had just made his second UFC appearance, taking a unanimous decision over Henry Briones.
The pair were worlds apart in terms of their star power, with ‘The Notorious’ already one of the biggest draws at the organisation’s disposal.
Well now both are world champions and the prospect of seeing them do battle is a very, very real one.
Garbrandt put on one of the performances of 2016 as he dethroned bantamweight king Dominick Cruz in style at UFC 207 to become one of the youngest UFC champions in history.
Immediately talk moved to a potential super-fight between Garbrandt and the reigning UFC lightweight champion given their history – the men engaged in a shoving match when they crossed paths on TUF 22.
All of a sudden, the world is Garbrandt’s oyster as he has no shortage of big-money fights on the horizon now that he is a belt-holder.
Next up for the 25-year-old is a grudge match against former teammate and top 135lbs contender TJ Dillashaw, following the rivals’ appearance as coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter.
But he could also take on Cruz in a thrilling rematch. So too could he welcome pound-for-pound king Demetrious Johnson back to bantamweight for a super-fight.
McGregor is obviously the most lucrative match-up for Garbrandt, of this he is aware.
And the Team Alpha Male standout has revealed when exactly he wants to meet the Dubliner.
Garbrandt took to Twitter on Tuesday night when he listed his next three opponents in ideal order, explaining how he wants to follow up his first bantamweight title defence with a featherweight clash opposite Jose Aldo.
After Aldo, in Garbrandt’s mind, would be the monster bout against McGregor which would presumably take place at 145lbs.
https://twitter.com/Cody_Nolove/status/821621652949782528
In that time, we will see ‘The Notorious’ return to the Octagon, when he will likely defend his lightweight title against the interim champion, either Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tony Ferguson.
But who knows, McGregor and Garbrandt could well be on a crash course in one another’s direction.
