Over the last few months, the UFC’s lightweight title picture has finally started coming into focus. At UFC 242, Khabib Nurmagomedov will defend his title against interim champion Dustin Poirier. After that, Tony Ferguson is the presumptive number one contender for the belt, with Justin Gaethje waiting in the wings. That leaves only Conor McGregor as the odd man out in the lightweight title picture, insofar as the sport’s biggest star could ever be considered out of title contention.
McGregor is on the sidelines by choice.