5 Biggest Fights for Conor McGregor Across 2 Divisions

Conor McGregor is getting more attention in mixed martial arts these days than Chewbacca does at Comic Con.

In the midst of one of the more memorable divisional ascends in UFC history, the unflappable featherweight has flourished among his peers.

Blessed with an evolving striking pallet unseen in the sport today and a menacing microphone game reminiscent of Chael Sonnen, the Irishman is seemingly at the doorstep of greatness.

So much so that McGregor stands to one day test his skill set against opposing lightweights, which would mean a jump up in weight.

With the wind at his back and the MMA world at his fingertips, here are the five biggest fights for The King of Dublin across the 145-pound and 155-pound divisions.

Frankie Edgar

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Despite tasting defeat in each of his last three UFC title fight appearances, Frankie Edgar remains one of the most popular fighters in the sport today.

As a former lightweight champ with the chin and heart to stay dangerous for five-straight rounds, Edgar's fighting style resonates with the most casual of fight fans.

Because of that, his name holds a mass following unseen at most levels in MMA, especially in the lower weight classes.

That's exactly why a featherweight showdown with The Answer would propel McGregor's notoriety even further, making him a bona fide household superstar here in the States.

A headlining spot on a UFC on Fox main card would surely suffice.

Donald Cerrone

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Donald Cerrone is just as prominent as McGregor is right now.

With five-straight lightweight victories under his belt, finishing four of them before the third round, The Cowboy is one of the hottest-selling tickets in MMA today.

People understand that when Cerrone steps inside of the Octagon, they're going to see one of the marquee finishers in the sport, one who never seems to wilt under the pressure.

That's exactly the type of fighter that McGregor needs to encounter to prove he can stand and bang with a precision-based striker.

Cerrone would reap the benefits of his lightweight size, but it's McGregor who possess a one-inch reach advantage.

It's a stylistic matchup that is simply too volatile to pass up and a potential victory that would supplant the featherweight phenom in the thick of the lightweight title hunt.

Nate Diaz

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Whenever Diaz is attached to a fight, you know it's going to be a banger.

Whether it's big brother Nick or little brother Nate, Diaz is arguably the most well-known name in MMA today.

But what makes this potential lightweight showdown even more tantalizing would be the mixture of boxing, kickboxing, footwork and forward movement.

As two of the very best strikers in the UFC when it comes to pushing the pace and making opponents fuddle under pressure, Diaz vs. McGregor could produce the best divisional crossover of all time.

Not to mention the pre-fight banter resembling that of a Comedy Central roast.

Jose Aldo

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This is by far the most readily available and intelligent option McGregor has at his disposal.

The UFC has yet to crown him the next top contender in the featherweight division, but it's highly likely that they'll push the 26-year-old to the front of the pack to cash in on his overwhelming popularity growth.

Now while Jose Aldo needs to defend his title yet again opposite Chad Mendes at UFC 179 and top title threats Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar are vying for their own shot at gold, the fact remains that the sexiest and most lucrative matchup remains with Aldo vs. McGregor.

It may not seem fair or logical in many regards, but sometimes you have to go with the hot hand.

This would easily be the most anticipated bout in featherweight history.

Anthony Pettis

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While this is a matchup better suited for REM sleep, crazier things have happened.

The bottom line here is that lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and McGregor are two of the very best young athletes in the sport today.

Their production over the past few years has mirrored excellence as they both continue to punch their way into the record books.

Now while McGregor has a lot of work to do at featherweight, Pettis looks like the kind of champion who will be around in another two years when the Irishman would presumably make his move to lightweight.

When that time comes, they could very well be two of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world rankings.

That would truly be something.

For more UFC news and coverage, Follow @DHiergesell