Conor McGregor has been a two-division UFC champion for less than one week -- but as usual, fans are already focused on his next fight.
Exactly whom McGregor will fight is unclear. He now holds belts at featherweight and lightweight. Following UFC 205 last weekend, McGregor (21-3) said he would take time off for the birth of his first child in early 2017. He also anticipates a meeting with UFC's new ownership.
The leading candidates to welcome back McGregor include interim featherweight champion Jose Aldo, lightweight contenders Khabib Nurmagomedov and Nate Diaz, plus welterweight champion Tyron Woodley.
How tough are these individual matchups for the sport's biggest star? Here are the projected betting lines for each, provided by Nick Kalikas of MMAOddsBreaker.com.
Featherweight championship: Conor McGregor -205, Jose Aldo +165
Kalikas: "The weight cut would be brutal for McGregor at this point, now that he has bulked up for fights at 155 and 170 pounds. But if he can make the cut, it would be a rematch of a fight he finished in 13 seconds [at UFC 194 last December]. McGregor's timing and counterpunching took Aldo out, ending his 10-year unbeaten streak. Aldo has all the tools, but don't underestimate the mind games McGregor played on him. McGregor closed as a +100 even money bet against Aldo in their first fight. He'll open significantly higher this time."
Lightweight championship: McGregor -250, Nate Diaz +190
Kalikas: "McGregor was overzealous when they met in March [at UFC 196]. He head-hunted and gassed himself out. He fought with a far more measured approach in the rematch [at UFC 202 in August], working Diaz with low kicks, body shots and dropping him multiple times in the first two rounds. In both matchups, McGregor was obviously the better striker, as long as his conditioning held up. In order for Diaz to win, he'd have to rely on weathering the storm again and McGregor's cardio fading. Diaz's big advantage is on the ground, but his attempts to get the fight there were unsuccessful in the rematch. There's no question McGregor should be the favorite in a trilogy bout."
Lightweight championship: McGregor -115, Khabib Nurmagomedov -115
Kalikas: "This fight would be McGregor's ultimate test. Nurmagomedov is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC and would have a clear advantage on the ground. Unlike Diaz, Nurmagomedov has a very strong ability to put opponents on their back. McGregor would have to either limit his approach offensively, fearing the takedown, or go all out in an attempt to take Nurmagomedov out with strikes as quickly as possible before the takedowns come. McGregor's use of range has helped his takedown defense and if he can stay upright, he should be in a great position. But if Nurmagomedov has success with his takedowns, it could be a long night for the Irishman. As a pick-em, the sports books should attract a large amount of two-way action due to both fighters having serious die-hard fan bases."
Welterweight championship: McGregor +125, Tyron Woodley -155
Kalikas: "McGregor's previous experience at welterweight was against a large lightweight in Diaz. This time, McGregor would be facing a true welterweight, someone who walks around about 20 to 30 pounds heavier than him. This fight would be similar to the Nurmagomedov matchup, considering Woodley is a very powerful wrestler who can take him down and do serious damage on the canvas. Unlike Nurmagomedov, Woodley also has insane power with his right hand, and McGregor has never been hit by someone who can pack a punch like Woodley. That being said, McGregor should hold a significant technical striking edge and would have a clear path to victory if the fight stayed standing."