Conor McGregor has declared his intention to compete for the symbolic 'BMF' title upon his return to the UFC. The Irishman, 34, is preparing to face Michael Chandler in what is expected to be his comeback fight, though no official date has been confirmed. A potential bout at UFC 296 on December 16 remains uncertain as McGregor has yet to re-enter the USADA testing pool, which requires six months of mandatory drug testing.
McGregor took to social media during UFC 290 on Saturday night to outline his ambitions. In a tweet, he posted a picture of himself holding his two UFC world titles and wrote: "How many belts can one man win?" He followed up with: "And don't think for one second that the BMF belt isn't being lined up specifically for the Mac Dad. Little one division twerps."
The 'BMF' title was first awarded in 2019 when Jorge Masvidal defeated Nate Diaz. Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje are scheduled to fight for the belt later this month following Masvidal's retirement in April. McGregor has previously expressed interest in fighting Masvidal for the title, but the American claimed UFC president Dana White did not want the match to happen.
Fans have questioned McGregor's pursuit of the BMF belt, with one commenting: "The number one sign of a fighting realising they're not championship material is them asking to fight for the BMF belt." Another suggested a bout between McGregor and Dan Hooker for the title.
McGregor became the first fighter to hold UFC titles in two weight classes, winning the featherweight belt in 2015 and the lightweight belt in 2016. He now aims to secure a third world title, potentially at welterweight or middleweight.
