Diego Brandao to Conor McGregor: Let’s Make It Happen

Rising UFC Featherweight prospect Conor McGregor is a man on a mission. Having generated a huge amount of hype and the following that goes with it after only two bouts in the Octagon, he is now looking to get a big name fight signed.

And while he talked a bit of smack about surging Featherweight contender Cub Swanson, who’s riding a 5-fight win streak, McGregor may have to win another bout before he fights a contender that highly ranked. So, as reported by Ariel Helwani, McGregor and his coaches are looking to get a bout against TUF 14 season winner Diego Brandao.

Their proposed venue is reportedly the year-ending blowout show of UFC 168 from Las Vegas, which features a championship rematch between Middleweight champion Chris Weidman and Anderson Silva, and also the UTF 18-ending bout between women’s Bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey and her rival Miesha Tate. Brandao took little time is giving a response to MMA Fighting about the challenge:

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“I’m in the UFC to fight the best. Everybody knows that my dream is to become the UFC champion. I already won The Ultimate Fighter, now I’m going after the title. I always liked challenges, and I believe a fight against McGregor would be a good challenge for me. If he wants to fight me, I also want to fight him. Hey, McGregor, let’s make it happen. It would be perfect for UFC 168 in Vegas. I wanna do a great show.”

A 145 lb. scrap between McGregor and Brandao could add more fuel to the fire that already burns around UFC 168, as both fighters have momentum on their side. After appearing to gas against Darren Elkins in his first UFC after winning the TUF contract, Brandao rebounded nicely with three victories over Joey Gambino, Pablo Garza, and Daniel Pineda.

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McGregor won a unanimous decision over the young Max Holloway at last weekend’s UFC Fight Night 26, and made his thunderous debut by finishing Marcus Brimage in Sweden last April. Although McGregor injured his knee during his defeat of Holloway, luckily it’s reported to merely be a mild sprain. 

It appears that both fighters are on board for this potentially great Featherweight bout. Brandao will have to work on his cardio for the fight, because McGregor prides himself on coming into the fight in peak condition. Can McGregor continue his run against the former TUF winner, or will Brandao throw a wrench into the gears of one of the UFC’s biggest hype trains?

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