Could we finally see the return of both Conor McGregor and the Octagon to Ireland all in the same night?
“Notorious” took to social media in the wake of Justin Gaethje’s first round knockout of Donald Cerrone this past weekend at UFC Fight Night 158 to imply that he is ready and willing to meet Gaethje later this year.
First, McGregor posted a selfie in the hours after Gaethje’s stunning win. The former two-division UFC champion has not fought since 2018 when he lost to UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 15, 2019
After that, McGregor added a little more context, stating “Dublin, December 14th” in another tweet sent out on Twitter.
Dublin, December 14th.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 16, 2019
How popular is any and everything McGregor says on social media? The Dublin tweet has already been liked over 64,000 times in less than 12 hours.
Related: UFC 158 Results: Justin Gaethje Finishes Off Donald Cerrone In The First Round
UFC 245 Scheduled For December 14
December 14 is currently the date for UFC 245 from Las Vegas. McGregor has fought countless times in “Sin City,” but he has been pushing hard for the UFC to hold an event in Dublin, Ireland.
Gaethje solidified himself as a top contender in the 155-pound division by picking up his third straight first round finish, this time taking care of Cerrone. The former World Series of Fighting lightweight champion has also bested Edson Barboza and James Vick inside of the first round. Those wins have come on the heels of back-to-back defeats vs. former interim UFC lightweight champion Dustin Poirier and ex-UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.
UFC Fight Night 45 back in 2014 took place from The O2 Arena in Dublin with McGregor taking out Diego Brandao in the main event. The card generated a total gate over $1.4 million with 9,500 wild Irish fans packing the arena. The UFC also held UFC 93 in 2009 in Ireland, a card that featured Dan Henderson earning a split decision over Rich Franklin.
Related: Conor McGregor Wants Khabib Nurmagomedov Rematch, Willing To Go To Moscow To Get It