Conor McGregor To Vacate Featherweight Title If He Stomps Nate Diaz, Will Stay Welterweight At 170

Conor McGregor is the first UFC champion to jump up or down two weight classes in just three months. McGregor weighed in at just 145 in December of 2015 and holds the featherweight title. However, the Irish fighter wasn’t satisfied with a single division win and wanted to prove that world weight classes are irrelevant and that he “will make his own belt,” noting that he “will decide what weight that fight is at.” Therefore, McGregor set out to fight at 155 pounds against Rafael dos Anjos in the quest to become the first simultaneous two-division UFC champion.

However, shortly before McGregor was set to match up against Anjos, his opponent dropped out citing a “broken foot.” Not to be deterred, McGregor moved up yet another weight class to take on Nate Diaz as a welterweight. McGregor weighed in at 168 looking exceedingly healthy and ready for his first welterweight face-off tonight. If all goes well today for McGregor, many have speculated that the Irish fighter will remain a welterweight or possibly even go up another class, but that featherweight will be something in McGregor’s past.

Fox Sports reports that UFC president Dana White believes strongly that Conor McGregor’s days as a featherweight are over. With McGregor taking on welterweight Nate Diaz this evening at the MGM Grand, White believes that if McGregor wins, he will opt to take on welterweight champion Robbie Lawler for the title and maintain his now-healthier physique. In fact, White notes how much better McGregor looks now that he is fighting at a healthy 168 and isn’t going to extreme measures to keep his weight down. In fact, McGregor was almost unrecognizable healthy at his weigh-in yesterday, where he noted he was still underweight by two pounds and was filling up on steaks for every meal.

Below is an image of Conor McGregor when he weighed in at 145 pounds.

Compare that to this image taken at yesterday’s weigh-in, when McGregor moved up to 168 pounds.

White points out that McGregor looks much healthier at 168 and that if he wins against Nate Diaz, there would be no reason for the champion to drop the weight again.

“I think if he wins impressively tomorrow, he doesn’t even go back to 45. That’s what I think. That weight cut is horrible for him. He looks terrible. I’m sure he feels terrible. I think he stays at 170 if he wins tomorrow.”

The Los Angeles Times reports that Conor McGregor was excited about this weigh-in because he didn’t have to drop weight. The fighter is at his “natural weight” now and feels healthy and prepared. McGregor’s coach, John Kavanagh, notes that the fighter isn’t worried about competing in the welterweight division, as he is comfortable at his weight and that he fights welterweights in practice with no issue, even at 145 pounds. Kavanagh notes that McGregor was ecstatic when he woke up at 168 pounds and didn’t have to lose weight before the weigh in.

“He’s a fighter. His belief is based in evidence, in how he trains. And if you train the way he does against the type of people he does, you know what you can do. And that’s why there was no hesitation in accepting the fight at another weight class. It’s not that he had to gain weight. It’s that he didn’t have to lose weight. This is his natural weight. I’m excited to see this.”

Although McGregor’s coach notes that Conor is happy and confident at his current weight, the fighter has said in the past that if a worthy featherweight fighter presented himself, he would drop the weight again to defend his title. However, UFC president Dana White doesn’t see that happening, as he has claimed McGregor would likely remain a welterweight and go after current champion Robbie Lawler. White notes that he has had no discussion with McGregor regarding the idea but claims that a McGregor and Lawler match-up for the UFC 200 could generate “unprecedented interest for any one card promotion in history” and that McGregor is all about the money fight.

If McGregor takes on Lawler, the fighter has made statements about another bold plan to go up yet another weight class and fight at the middleweight level, a 40-pound increase from his featherweight days. In fact, McGregor says that as he gets older, he may become a “solid block” at 170 and would have no problem going up to 185.

“My body could change as I get older. I could become that solid block at 170. And if I’m that block at 170, I’m happy to go to 185. It would be like going from 145 to 155. I have no problem doing that. I’d go in and whoop anybody. No problem.”

What do you think about Conor McGregor’s drastic weight changes and jumping between weight classes? Will you be watching McGregor take on Diaz tonight? If he wins, do you think it will mark the end of his featherweight career?