Conor McGregor is hoping to become just the third UFC fighter to compete in four weight classes as he targets a move to middleweight.
Former two-weight champion McGregor has already competed at featherweight, lightweight and welterweight in the promotion and now wants to add a fourth category to his resume by fighting at 185lb. Only Ultimate Fighter season one veterans Kenny Florian and Diego Sanchez have previously competed in four weight classes.
"I’m going to give middleweight a go at some point 100 per cent," McGregor tweeted. "I'd be a big fridge at middleweight, but hot like oven same time, ye know yourself, catch it on ppv. Don't know tho. It'll be hard work. Those rounds against those [middleweights/light-heavyweights], they were alternating fresh each round. I've put in psycho work doing this job over the years."
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McGregor then added that fans should give him more credit for his achievements in the cage, especially if he is to fight at middleweight. "I know I get the dough but I should get the credit too. Mostly people lying to themselves. I'm not on this throne by chance. I worked for all of this. Insanely hard," he wrote.
Former interim middleweight title challenger Kelvin Gastelum then responded to McGregor's hint about moving up to 185lb by writing: "Only room for one fridge in this weight class". Gastelum also claimed that McGregor would be more like a "punching bag" at the weight class instead of a "fridge".
This is not the first time McGregor has teased a move up to middleweight, as he cited Gastelum's height when discussing the move last August. "I’m watching all these little fools talking and that, little middleweights they are, little former middleweights. Kelvin Gastelum‘s five-foot-nine, 71-inch reach. I’m actually bigger, physically set than Kelvin and he’s fighting up at middleweight," he said.
'Notorious' is hoping to avoid the UFC's mandatory six month drug-testing policy by booking his comeback fight in the first few months of 2023. It's unlikely McGregor will get his wish as all signs point to a summer return for the Irishman, who also predicted that his UFC rivals will be in no rush to fight him next year.
"I've beat everyone I've fought multiple times in the UFC. I'm the boss of the business. Let them lie to themselves. They'll be forced into another one, they can't run. Well, I suppose they could but they won't. They are goers in fairness so respect that but no mistake, they're not looking forward to it," he added.
