Conor McGregor Says He'll Defend 145-Pound Belt Next, Unsure If Aldo or Edgar

Following UFC Featherweight champion Conor McGregor's submission loss tonight at the arms of Nate Diaz, a fight that took place at 170 pounds, the Irishman conceded a return to 145 was in order.

Initially, McGregor was supposed to face lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos, but the bout was scrapped when Dos Anjos broke his foot 11 days before the fight. Nate Diaz, who currently fights at lightweight, agreed to step in at short notice and with no camp, but he refused to cut that much weight in such a short time. 

Diaz submitted McGregor with a rear-naked choke in Round 2 after several long striking exchanges and some time spent on the mat. Their bout won Fight of the Night, and Diaz received a Performance of the Night bonus as well.

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McGregor: " I think what is next is I'll go back down and defend my FW crown" pic.twitter.com/gRVyc6gTwD

— Ron Kruck (@rkruck) March 6, 2016"

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Conor McGregor: 145 it's a cut, it's intense but I make it and I make it every time. I'll defend my belt. Nate will fight dos Anjos#UFC196

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 6, 2016"

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Conor McGregor: It's kind of hard not to give Jose Aldo another go but he doesn't show up a lot. I don't know. #UFC196

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 6, 2016"

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Conor: At least Frankie Edgar shows up to compete#UFC196

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) March 6, 2016"

McGregor's hype train picked up speed after his 13-second knockout of long-reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo in December 2015, making it the shortest title fight in the UFC. McGregor seemed unstoppable, and somehow, his claim that he would fight anyone, anytime and at any weight didn't sound so outrageous.

Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Getty Images

Now that McGregor has quashed talk of a lightweight run for the time being, White said in the post-fight press conference that the Irishman returning to defend his featherweight belt "makes sense."

"Tonight was one of those nights—this was a fight. This is what this thing was billed to be...it was everything that we talked about, and it lived up to everything it was supposed to be. it was awesome," White said. 

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"I still feel UFC 200 is there for me, but I'll go back and sit. I'm not cut or hurt, just heart-broken."-Conor McGregor

— Adam Hill (@AdamHillLVRJ) March 6, 2016"

McGregor last lost in November 2010, via an arm-triangle choke from Joseph Duffy.