Conor
McGregor’s return to action in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship ended in disappointment, but
speculation surrounding his next opponent has already begun
following his injury at
UFC 329.

“Notorious†suffered a knee injury on the opening kick he threw in
his rematch against Max
Holloway, who was then declared the victor. BetOnline.ag has
now released odds for McGregor’s next fight, which will serve as
the final bout on the former two-division champion’s current UFC
contract.

Michael Chandler opens as favorite for Conor McGregor's next
fight

Michael
Chandler has opened as the betting favorite at 2/1 to face
McGregor next. The long-discussed matchup between the two former
opposing “The Ultimate Fighter†coaches was originally set to go
down in 2024 before McGregor withdrew because of injury.

A trilogy bout with Holloway follows at 3/1. With their rivalry at
1-1, a rubber match could be on the cards. Moreover, “Blessedâ€
repeatedly called for the same following the Irishman's injury.

Despite not being on the UFC roster, Nate Diaz is
listed third at 5/1. Like Holloway, Diaz is 1-1 with McGregor. The
Stockton native would have to be re-signed by the UFC if a trilogy
is to take place next.

Diaz is followed by Jorge
Masvidal (7/1), Justin
Gaethje (8/1), Paddy
Pimblett (10/1) and Dustin
Poirier (12/1). Both Masvidal and Poirier are retired, but have
hinted at interest in potential Octagon returns.

Meanwhile, former lightweight UFC champion Khabib
Nurmagomedov, who held the title from April 2018 to March 2021,
has the longest odds on the board at 20/1.

Cris
Cyborg believes her rivalry with fellow former
Ultimate Fighting Championship star Ronda
Rousey stemmed from the latter's reluctance to face her at the
height of their careers.

The current
Professional Fighters League champion claims Rousey had every
opportunity to accept a super-fight during her prime but chose not
to.

The history behind the UFC superfight fans wanted between Cris
Cyborg and Ronda Rousey

Cyborg reflected on her rivalry with Rousey in a new interview with
Sherdog's Marcelo Alonso ahead of her retirement bout against
Ketlen
Vieira at
PFL Tampa. The Brazilian legend also noted that if “Rowdy”
wouldn't fight her when they were both active and winning, she
definitely wouldn't accept a fight now.

“That was something the fans put together. Ronda had the
opportunity to fight me when she was at her peak, and she didn’t
want to,†Cyborg explained of a fan-made poster that was rumored to
be genuine. “If she didn’t want it in her prime, imagine now.â€

She also emphasized that their rivalry was based on Rousey's fear
instead of mutual animosity.

A middleweight
title fight headlines PFL Austin: Tune on Saturday, July 18 at 8
p.m. ET on ESPN.

“I think fear eventually turned into rivalry,†she added. “I never
did anything to her. In fact, Dana himself used to say that once
Ronda beat Holly, her next fight would be against Cyborg. But then
she lost, got really upset, decided to retire, and now she’s back
alongside Gina.â€

Rousey put together a stellar 12-0 record and compiled seven title
defenses in the UFC before getting finished in back-to-back bouts
against Holly Holm
and Amanda
Nunes, which marked the beginning of a 10-year hiatus from MMA.
The former UFC champion returned to winning ways against Gina Carano
earlier this year under the
Most Valuable Promotions banner.

Michel
Pereira is no longer on the
Ultimate Fighting Championship roster after his decision loss
to Sharabutdin
Magomedov at
UFC Baku.

“Demolidor” leaves the promotion after building a 10-6 record
inside the Octagon across two weight classes. However, he has lost
four of his last five fights, ending his UFC run on a lackluster
note.

UFC parts ways with Michel Pereira after six-year Octagon
run

Pereira has exited the UFC after six years in the promotion. He
made his UFC debut against Danny
Roberts in 2019 and has since won 10 fights inside the Octagon.
The 32-year-old completed his previous contract with a
split-decision victory over Zachary
Reese in February following a losing streak. He then signed a
one-fight deal to face Magomedov in Azerbaijan.

His last appearance ended in a unanimous decision defeat. Pereira
later criticized referee Herb Dean for
not deducting points from Magomedov despite issuing multiple
warnings for hair pulling. Magomedov also avoided a point deduction
for a seemingly blatant eye poke.

Pereira enjoyed his best run in the UFC during an eight-fight
winning streak between 2020 and 2024, but this momentum was lost
after consecutive defeats to Anthony
Hernandez, Abus
Magomedov and Kyle
Daukaus.

While several fighters have had multiple stints in the UFC, with
some even going on to win gold after returning to the promotion,
Pereira's inconsistency and age may prove to be a stumbling block
to him getting re-signed.

⌠Fighter removed: Michel
Pereira

— UFC Roster Watch (@UFCRosterWatch)
July 14, 2026