CONOR MCGREGOR will be back in the UFC Octagon next year due to a quicker than expected recovery.
Although he broke his left fibula and tibia in the rubber match against Dustin Poirier in July, the Irishman is ahead of the doctors' initial recovery plan.
Conor McGregor last saw action against Dustin Poirier, UFC 264
.
Paradigm Sports Management Chief Audie attar, his manager, told SunSport last month that "He's ahead on schedule."
"We received our X-ray results back, but we also got our CT scan and ultrasound results.
"It's so healing to see the X-ray view from my own eyes.
"He is walking now after only 10 and-a-half weeks of surgery.
"And he's doing s*** we don't want him do, like throwing the first pitch at a Cubs game."
McGregor is expected to return to the cage next year, so attention has turned to who will take care of McGregor's return.
SunSport felt it was only right to list five of the front runners facing The Notorious.
Michael Chandler
After his defeat to Justin Gaethje in UFC 268, Chandler, a former Bellator lightweight champion, made a run for MysticMac on Twitter.
McGregor, 35 years old, was moved by Gaethje's three-round battle. He publicly agreed to meet Gaethje at'some stage'.
Given the two-fight skids of each pair, this fight would make sense and be entertaining.
McGregor would have trouble with Chandler's wrestling pedigree, and Mac's striking would be problematic for Iron.
Tony Ferguson
McGregor should have fought the former boogeyman in the lightweight division after he won the interim title UFC 216.
Ferguson has not yet been able to meet the Irishman and compete for the belt. This is a strange situation for Ferguson after three consecutive losses.
A fight with McGregor is a good idea for both men, especially considering their past.
Ferguson believes McGregor was given preferential treatment by Paradigm before he sought out new representation.
McGregor's speed and Ferguson's insistence on his pace make for an exciting start to the tournament.
This fight is logical, as both men are in desperate need of a victory over a major name.
Nate Diaz
It is obvious that McGregor and Diaz need to be reunited before their careers end.
Their legendary series, which was created after Rafael dos Anjos suffered an injury, is currently at 1-1.
Since August 2016, when they rematch at UFC 202, the pair have been exchanging verbal jabs to the delight of their fans.
Diaz, a fan favourite, has one fight remaining on his UFC contract. So what better way to end than a series decider against his bitter rival?
Max Holloway
Holloway, a former featherweight champion, is also in contention to rematch McGregor -- despite being in a different weight category.
Holloway, like Diaz has had many verbal jabs with McGregor - but their exchanges were a lot lighter-hearted.
Fans are eager to see the pair share the cage again after their respective fights since 2013.
Blessed is unlikely to fight Alexander Volkanovski again, so Blessed could consider a weight increase to settle the score.
Dustin Poirier
Although Poirier has settled his series against McGregor, he is still keen to fight his former featherweight rival.
The rubber match between the pair ended last July with a broken leg. This was possibly due to several checks by The Diamond.
Some fans are still hankering for another fight after their Sin City showdown, even if Charles Oliveira's short reign at the top of the lightweight division is over.
The Dubliner and Lousiana pride would fight again, but it would be difficult to sell, given their back-to-back defeats this year to the interim 155lb titleholder.
Stranger things have happened in this sport. As we have seen over the years, UFC is not afraid to give in to their cash cow.
