8 Most Viable Opponents For Conor McGregor

The antithesis of the showmanship and falsified mudslinging that is becoming ludicrously prevalent in this new era of the UFC, Tony Ferguson is simply a man that thrives on competition and continues to do so with every momentous challenge that is laid before him.

Cultivating an unconventional style that has led commentators to label him as 'the future of the sport', his recent outing and eventual triumph against none other than revered former Lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos was exemplary of why there is so much interest placed in 'El Cucuy'. Experimenting with level changes, stances and angles over the course of five rounds and almost standing uninhibited in front of a treacherous opponent with more than a few TKO's on his record, the carefully orchestrated victory over a man with the name recognition of RDA has served as a culmination of years of hard work for Tony.

Opting not to verbally throw his hat in the ring for a title fight despite being on a nine-fight win streak, there's a case to be made that the level of competition which he has consistently faced; Edson Barboza, Abel Trujillo, Danny Castillo and Josh Thomson to name but a few, definitively outweighs the value of top ranked Khabib Nurmagomedov's victories over a number of less impressive athletes and MMA journeymen.

As it pertains to a possible fight against 'The Notorious' McGregor, the combination of his willingness to stand and trade alongside a tremendous wrestling pedigree and ability to finish fights via submission would make for an engaging and open-ended battle provided that he can navigate away from the power which resides in the hands of the champ.