Ever since Irish featherweight Conor McGregor dominated in his UFC debut, UFC President Dana White has said he wants McGregor to be part of the UFC on FOX Sports 1 card in Boston. Not only does him fighting on the card make sense, but now he has a opponent eyeing a match-up with him.
TUF 14 cast member Akira Corassani (2-0 UFC) went on to youtube and started his campaign to fight the Irishmen.
“Conor McGregor, I hereby challenge you to fight me on Aug. 17, 2013, on FOX Sports 1 at TD Garden,” Corassani said in the embedded video below. He admires him as a fighter and his camp, but thinks the fight makes complete sense.
“I respect you, I respect your team, and I respect the Republic or Ireland,” Corassani said to McGregor. “But it’s time to do this.”
Corassani is coming off a split-decision victory over Andy Ogle and a unanimous-decision win over Robbie Peralta since his semifinal-round finish on “TUF 14.” Corassani’s fight game has looked better since his TUF 14 stint. Since then his anger has subsided and his striking looks crisp.
Meanwhile, former two-division Cage Warriors champ Conor McGregor made a huge impact in his UFC debut earning the “Knockout of the Night” bonus after stopping Marcus Brimage. The first round stoppage was the Irishman’s 9th straight win, and has yet to reach a decision in his career.
As of Monday morning, McGregor had given no response via Twitter, and UFC officials have given no indication of whom he may fight at the summer event, but spectators do expect McGregor to be on the card regardless.
~ Final Thought ~
I think this is a perfect match-up for McGregor, and that Corassani should keep his mouth shut. I respect Akira for stepping up and calling McGregor out, but even with his improvements, Akira isn’t in the same league as Conor.
Besides Brimmage, this could be the hardest fight Conor has seen in his MMA career. I see this fight being another stepping stone for the future champ in McGregor.