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White expects McGregor to face Nurmagomedov-Ferguson winner next

Adam Hunger / USA TODAY

If Conor McGregor can't make a dance with Floyd Mayweather happen, he has two partners waiting for him in the Octagon.

In an interview posted on Saturday, UFC president Dana White told TMZ Sports that the lightweight champion's next fight could be against the winner of an interim championship match between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson at UFC 209, not Mayweather.

"I expect Conor's next fight to be in the UFC, in mixed martial arts, and (against) the winner of Khabib and Ferguson," said White.

It's long been assumed that either Nurmagomedov or Ferguson would get a crack at McGregor, but with "The Notorious" pursuing a blockbuster boxing matchup with Mayweather, the contenders have been left with no guarantees as to whether they will get a chance to unify the lightweight belts.

In particular, the grappling-minded Nurmagomedov has been mentioned as the perfect foil to defuse McGregor's potent standup game, a prediction that White isn't buying into.

"Listen, people have been doubting Conor since the day he stepped onto the scene," said White. "Khabib is awesome, Khabib is tough, but people have been doubting (McGregor) since day one."

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