Evaluating the Options for UFC 200's New Main Event

It’s time to don the matchmaking caps and sit back down at the UFC 200 table.

By now, everyone has caught wind of the stunning yet brief retirement of Conor McGregor that saw his exit from the UFC 200 main event. Or, if you believe the UFC’s version of the story, it pulled him for not committing to a press schedule.

Either way, he’s out and so is Nate Diaz for the time being.

Steven Rondina and I will take a look at the UFC’s leading options to replace McGregor vs. Diaz 2 atop the UFC 200 fight card on July 9. There are only a few realistic options on the plate. Mr. Rondina, what is the UFC’s leading option for a new UFC 200 main event?

Steven: First and foremost, it’s worth pointing out that the UFC would much rather keep Diaz vs. McGregor 2 in place rather than put something else together. No matter what kind of dispute may be happening behind the scenes or what sort of demands either side is making, there’s no question that keeping this fight in place is the most lucrative option available for all parties. Until the UFC officially announces, signs and promotes a new main event, I’m still expecting this fight to happen, regardless of UFC President Dana White’s bombast.

If McGregor is indeed out of the picture, the UFC would be best served by keeping Diaz atop the card. Nobody knows how much of a rub he got from defeating McGregor, but unless Ronda Rousey suddenly returns or Georges St-Pierre ends his hiatus, he’s the best option. Choosing an opponent for him is basically a two-horse race between either lightweight champ Rafael Dos Anjos or welterweight champ Robbie Lawler.

Dos Anjos is set to face Eddie Alvarez on the Thursday before UFC 200, but it wouldn't be hard to sell him on a jump to UFC 200. As for Lawler, White told AXS TV broadcasters that he is going to fight at UFC 201 or 202 (probably) against Tyron Woodley (probably), per MMAFighting.com. Again, it wouldn't be difficult to woo Lawler into a fight with Diaz.

Of those two, Lawler has more legs and is the more fan-friendly fighter. If the UFC plans on making a totally new fight, however, that’s anyone’s guess.

But hey, Nathan! I’m fairly certain that you qualify as “anyone,” so what would you guess?

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Nathan: McGregor is off the card for good, and I believe that will hold. The UFC will want to make a point that he can't just waltz back into UFC 200 after everything that has transpired. Even though the UFC also pulled Diaz, he could end up back on the card against the right opponent.

Rousey doesn’t seem like a realistic option at this juncture, given her hiatus and movie schedule, and it looks obvious she’s going to be a linchpin for the Madison Square Garden card.

The only three fighters I see coming in to save the day are Jon Jones, Lawler and GSP. The top option is, of course, the return of the Canadian superstar. Talks are ramping up on his return, and if there was ever a time for the UFC to throw canvas bags with a dollar sign on them at the former champion, now would be it. I’m just too skeptical that it will happen.

This weekend’s UFC 197 main event is going to play a big role in what goes down. If Jones runs through Ovince Saint Preux, I would expect an announcement that Jones vs. Daniel Cormier is the new UFC 200 headliner. It’s too easy of a fight to make, and Jones is one of the top UFC draws behind McGregor. If the fight goes on a bit too long and Jones is banged up, I could see the UFC having Lawler as the backup plan.

Steven, are there any options available to the UFC that may be just a little outside of the box?

Steven: Rousey, as you said, is out of the question. It stinks, but a return is unlikely to the point where it’s not even worth discussing further.

GSP, however, seems like a legitimate possibility. While he played coy Monday speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Khabib Nurmagomedov told Russian media that the UFC asked him about facing the former welterweight champ at UFC 200. Even though Nurmagomedov turned down the fight due to his plans to adhere to the fasting traditions of Ramadan, you can bet he’s not the only fighter the UFC called.

If GSP does indeed return, a fight against Diaz makes sense in a lot of ways. Past him, however, the options are limited to Lawler or Anderson Silva (if the UFC can get another quick turnaround out of him).

Jones is where things start getting interesting. As you mentioned, Cormier vs. Jones 2 is the biggest fight the UFC can make not involving Rousey or McGregor, but if Cormier can’t make it for July, the UFC has other options in Alexander Gustafsson and Anthony Johnson.

Nathan: All told, we’ll probably get our answer at the UFC 197 post-fight press conference. If Jones can’t put away OSP with ease, Lawler will probably go on tap to take on Diaz or Woodley. Late Thursday evening, rumors swirled (per MMA reporter Michael Mardones) that Diaz was also pulled from the card. Damon Martin of Fox Sports reported that Lawler vs. Diaz had been discussed but was no longer on the table. Diaz is much more palatable than Woodley for this huge event.

It’s off the table until the UFC knows if Jones can make it or not. The company wants Lawler to headline UFC 201 and only wants to resort to him as a last option.

Jones. GSP. Lawler. That almost seems to be a consensus at this point. It’s going to be a wild few days as speculation heats up and we get ready for the return of the most dominant light heavyweight in MMA history.

This is the sport that keeps on giving, and it’s giving us a lot to think and talk about for UFC 198 and UFC 200. These are crazy times all thanks to an Irish superstar who wanted to focus on training.