Conor McGregor's coach John Kavanagh views a trilogy bout with Nate Diaz and a long-awaited clash with Tony Ferguson as "legacy" fights for the former two-weight world champion's comeback.
McGregor is currently recovering from an horrific leg break suffered against Dustin Poirier in his last outing in July, and is expected to return to the UFC next year, ideally for more than one fight.
And his head trainer Kavanagh has said that he is eyeing up a number of potential opponents, putting out a list of six potential fighters that he could face during a recent appearance on The MMA Hour.
The Irishman has long-standing rivalries with a number of potential opponents, and still needs to settle his feud with Diaz after the pair each picked up a win over the other in their 2016 meetings.
And it's that fight that excites and terrifies Kavanagh in equal measure, given Diaz's ability to avoid being stopped and continue fighting to the final bell at a fast pace.
“I’ll be honest, the Nate Diaz trilogy is very, very tempting," Kavanagh explained. "It’s a fight that gives me nightmares.
"The man doesn’t stop coming forward whether it’s three rounds or five rounds - but it’s an intriguing fight, so that one is definitely very interesting.“
And he is also interested in a bout between McGregor's former managerial stablemate Ferguson, with whom he has shared a number of aggressive words through the years.
Ferguson has been struggling in recent years, losing his last three bouts after mounting a 12-fight winning streak that earned him multiple lightweight title opportunities and even the interim belt in 2017.
But he could be a perfect opponent for McGregor who has lost three of his last four after winning the lightweight title in 2016.
"Also the Tony Ferguson one," Kavanagh added after discussing Diaz. "It never happened and it was talked about a lot.
"Tony still has, I believe, a lot to offer the game; he’s a very unorthodox striker, grappler.
"I think the build-up would be fun for the fans.
"So, you know, [I'd like Conor to fight] any of those kind of legacy guys.”
Who would you like to see Conor McGregor fight in his UFC comeback next year? Let us know in the comments section!
Kavanagh also has interest in his fighter mounting another run at the lightweight title, which he won for the first time in 2016 before dropping the belt to take on Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match.
To do that, he would likely have to face some of the division's toughest tests, including fighters on considerable win streaks who have been more active over the past few years.
“That division is killer," Kavanagh continued. "Dan Hooker’s in there.
"The Islam Makhachev fight would be amazing as well, for obvious reasons.
"And we have whoever’s going to win this belt when Charles Oliveira fights Dustin Poirier.
"So look, any of those names [are possible opponents] - I’m just excited to see Conor back.”
