UFC legend Michael Bisping has dismissed Conor McGregor being a featherweight great despite his previous reign as champion.
McGregor had an incredible run at featherweight spanning from 2014-16 where he tore through the 145lb division defeating the likes of Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway en-route to his title shot. The Irishman then recorded a sensational opening round stoppage of Jose Aldo to claim the title with just thirteen seconds gone to claim the title in spectacular style.
However Bisping believes the winner of Alexander Volkanovski's trilogy with Max Holloway will become the greatest featherweight of all-time. “If Volkanovski pulls it off, he will then be, without a shadow of a doubt, the greatest featherweight that the UFC has ever seen,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “Of course, that was Jose Aldo, ‘The King of Rio’.
"Then Conor McGregor knocked him out in 13 seconds, but he then never defended the belt. He vacated and then went up to 155. So therefore, whilst McGregor had a crazy run at 145, he doesn’t go down as one of the greats.”
McGregor never defended his featherweight title instead opting to make history and become the UFC's first double-champion by defeating Eddie Alvarez to claim the 155lb title. Becoming a simultaneous champion cemented his name in the record books and made his name arguably the biggest in the UFC's modern era.
A return for McGregor at featherweight in the present day is highly unlikely after weighing around 190lb following his leg break suffered against Poirier last year. Both Volkanovski and Holloway have teased meetings with McGregor since but it seems more likely that he will pursue a career at 170lbs in a bid to become triple-champion.
Do you think Conor McGregor goes down as a featherweight great? Let us know in the comments section below
And his coach John Kavanagh believes McGregor's current weight is much more beneficial for his health having been forced to make drastic weight cuts. “You might have seen some extreme pictures of Conor from years ago when he was fighting in the lower weight classes in the UFC," Kavanagh said on an Instagram live session. "They were very extreme and they were all done under the eyes of a medical professional.
"Even he himself wouldn’t ever go back to those weight classes now. It’s not healthy, and it’s not for the longterm. I would encourage you to look at his more recent pictures he’s putting up on Instagram. Look how big and strong that looks. That’s what it is to be a fighter, get big, get strong, and be healthy for life."
McGregor has been offered a number of different options for his comeback which is now expected to be delayed until next year while he continues his training. Charles Oliveira would be willing to face McGregor for the 155lb title but it is understood the UFC superstar would be more keen on challenging Kamaru Usman.
