Michael Chiesa predicts struggles Conor McGregor will face at 155

In November of 2016, UFC superstar Conor McGregor made his first Octagon appearance at 155 pounds when he stepped into the Octagon against UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205, the UFC’s inaugural event at the famed Madison Square Garden.

McGregor put on a spectacular showing as he picked up a 2nd round TKO win over Alvarez, claiming the lightweight championship, and cementing his place in the UFC’s history books as the first ever simultaneous two-division UFC champion. While McGregor’s win was certainly a dominant one, top 10 ranked lightweight Michael Chiesa foresees McGregor having problems in the division in the future.

He spoke on ESPN’s 5ive Rounds podcast:

“Conor is good, but I really don’t think he’s a true lightweight. That’s what I’m saying. With the landscape of this division, I don’t see Conor ending his year as champion. And you put me in there, I’m going to drag him to the ground and beat him too. I’m a huge lightweight. I’m as big as Nate or bigger, and we saw how many problems Nate gave him.”

McGregor is currently on hiatus with the upcoming birth of his firstborn child in May, however when he returns, he will be facing the winner of UFC 209’s interim lightweight title fight between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. The way Michael Chiesa sees it, both men pose threats to McGregor:

“Tony Ferguson and Khabib, you have to fight the winner of that fight,” Chiesa said. “I mean, dude, you’re good, but you’re going up against a guy who is 24-0, multiple sambo world champion, or a guy that would be on a 10-fight win streak.”

“Sooner or later, Conor is going to have to come out and fight. Whether he’s taking this hiatus himself or the company is putting him on ice, who knows? But I don’t see him staying champion.”

on 1/18/2017.