Could Croke Park finally get the Conor McGregor fight that fans have been crying out for?
McGregor outgrew the 3Arena several years ago and has repeatedly toyed with the idea of headlining a monster card in Croker but several factors continue to act as stumbling blocks in turning that dream into a reality.
To cater to the lucrative US pay-per-view market, any McGregor fight in Ireland would likely take place in the middle of the night which would not be accepted by residents around Ireland's most iconic stadium.
But McGregor has matchless levels of pull with the UFC so it would be foolish to write anything off when it comes to 'The Notorious'.
McGregor's immediate fighting future will become a lot clearer at his Nevada State Athletic Commission hearing later this month, when the Dubliner will discover his punishment for his role in the UFC 229 melee.
Last weekend, McGregor seemingly accepted the challenge of Donald Cerrone to a non-title clash at 155lbs and the American veteran is keeping his fingers crossed for the bout which would represent the biggest payday of his career.
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"That’d be cool," Cerrone told
MMA Junkie after beating Alex Hernandez on Saturday night. "I hope the fight goes through. I can’t get my hopes up."
Cerrone is one of the most popular fighters on the UFC roster and is a favourite of UFC president Dana White for his willingness to fight anyone, anytime, anywhere but 'Cowboy' is well aware of the fact that McGregor would have much more say than him.
"He dictates everything, man," Cerrone said of 'The Notorious'. "I can say yes. Well, I can’t say I’ll fight anybody anymore, because now I told my team I’ll take it easy.
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"I want a top-five guy. Conor’s (No.) 2. That equals top-five to me. He’s the master of talking shit. I’m sure he’ll try and get under my skin. It will be fun."
Las Vegas will doubtless push for any fights involving McGregor, even with his past issues in the city, and Cerrone thinks that it's down to either the fight capital of the world or Dublin for any match-up with the former UFC lightweight and featherweight champion.
"March, April, May – the sun’s out," Cerrone said. "I can bring my boat and RV to Vegas. I’m sure it will be in Vegas, or Ireland. Fuck yeah. Let’s go."
