Issue 162
December 2017
We all know Conor McGregor is all about breaking records. He’s put down markers for pay-per-view numbers, gate receipts and holding two belts at once. What’s left?
Becoming the first fighter to win titles in three different weight classes, that’s what.
This is not a fight Dana White is thinking of sanctioning, because there’s far too much business to take care of in the lightweight division first, but you can bet it’s a fight the record-breaker wants. We’re sure ‘The Chosen One’ would welcome some of that McGregor money, too.
THE CASE FOR MCGREGOR
This would likely be the most taxing challenge of McGregor’s career. By moving up to fight a real welterweight, a guy who’s built for the division and couldn’t cut to lightweight if he tried, he’ll be at a significant physical disadvantage. McGregor would probably have to fight the perfect fight.
“Conor could control the pace of this one, but then it becomes a very tactical striking match and Woodley has the blast-double to fall back on,” says Hardy. “Conor could control the center of the Octagon in that fight, and make Woodley look bad because he’d have his back to the fence, waiting for his power to recharge.
"But I don’t think Conor will have the work rate to keep Woodley on the back foot and hesitant to shoot for long enough to do any damage to him.
“There’s always that single KO shot, but I think he’d have to at least stuff a couple of Tyron’s takedowns before he’s in a position to land. To beat Tyron Woodley, you need to be someone with the wrestling credentials to stuff at least half his takedowns, or at least make him hesitant to shoot by having good wrestling credentials, and someone who can keep a high work rate to wear down his power stores by forcing him to work more than he wants to.”
THE CASE FOR WOODLEY
Tyron Woodley is not an opponent to be taken lightly in McGregor’s quest for three-weight world championship glory. His supreme physical gifts give him an advantage over anyone who has the balls to step up to his division.
“I think this is the worst fight Conor could take,” Hardy agrees. “Woodley is so incredibly muscled, which means he hits like a double-barreled shotgun, and if he decides to go for a takedown, there’s very little you can do about it. Even if they see it coming, it’s difficult to withstand that kind of drive.”
Allied with his strength and power is his Octagon IQ. He fights smart, in a way that keeps opponents on their toes and always makes them vulnerable to his biggest weapons. His power-punching has ruined the likes of Robbie Lawler and Dong Hyun Kim, while Kelvin Gastelum and Stephen Thompson struggled to stop his explosive wrestling.
He’s also durable. The only man to stop him is career-middleweight Nate Marquardt, who needed a five-punch-and-elbow combination straight out of Tekken to finish him off. Even that famous McGregor left hand might not be enough to do the business.
“If Conor moves up to welterweight, does he have that knockout power anymore?” Hardy asks. “You look at the physical build of Tyron – you look at the traps and the shoulders – and you’ve got to think you need a lot of punching power to turn his head and knock him unconscious.
"Conor has a much better chance of doing that against lightweights and featherweights... Conor would need to land cleanly several times in order to really hurt him.”
Ultimately, this is a fight McGregor could win, but the odds may be too great, even for a man who has made millions exceeding all expectations. “All the advantages he brings to the table at lightweight and featherweight, he loses as a welterweight,” adds Hardy.
“He may already be at a strength deficit at lightweight if he’s fighting Khabib and Ferguson. Then, if you add 15lb and a right hand like a shotgun, I think welterweight is a step too far.”
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