2. [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] 3
I want to see Conor McGregor be active in 2020 if possible, and I also want him away from any title fights – at least for now.
McGregor is a great fighter and remains the promotion’s biggest star, but his inactivity and his lack of recent wins doesn’t merit any kind of shot at a title. Even if victorious against Donald Cerrone at UFC 246, McGregor would still not be close to any deserving contender at featherweight, lightweight or welterweight.
A trilogy fight with Diaz, win or lose against Cerrone, is the fight to make in late 2020. There is a story line there and McGregor could use some back-to-back wins. I’m not saying Cerrone and Diaz are easy matchups, but they’re far better opponents for him than Usman or Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The first two fights had fun buildups and the fights themselves were extremely entertaining. Diaz and McGregor have some sort of magic when they’re pitted again each other, and I wouldn’t mind revisiting that this year.
1. [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag]
UFC welterweight champion vs. the division’s baddest mother(expletive)? Why not?
Usman vs. Masvidal checks all the boxes for me. For starters, it’s a very compelling matchup. It’s one of the biggest fights the UFC can make at 170 pounds. And most importantly, it makes sense.
Masvidal’s run in 2019 is deserving of a title shot. The man knocked out Darren Till in his backyard in the U.K., scored the fastest knockout in UFC history and handed Ben Askren his first professional defeat, and won the “BMF” title in one of the biggest fight of the year by basically demolishing Nate Diaz.
On top of that, Usman, although on the come up as a name and popular figure, still remains one of the more unknown champions in the promotion. There’s no doubt he’s the best at 170 pounds and has proven that again and again. The only thing he’s missing is an opportunity to showcase his world-class skills in a blockbuster fight. Masvidal can give him just that.
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