Conor McGregor's coach makes surprising comment on UFC return: I don't mind who he fights
CONOR MCGREGOR has his pick of fights in the UFC, despite his lengthy hiatus from the Octagon.
Conor McGregor looks on before his UFC 194 bout with Jose Aldo
The UFC's lightweight champion hasn't set foot inside the cage since claiming the 155lbs title in the main event of UFC 205.
Fourteen months have passed since that historic night at Madison Square Garden and McGregor has yet to make a serious move to return to mixed martial arts, much to the frustration of many.
As he is well aware of, McGregor has a murderers' row of lightweights looking to welcome him back to the Octagon.
Currently at the front of that queue is interim 155lbs champion Tony Ferguson, who has been pestering McGregor to 'defend or vacate' his title for several months.
Khabib Nurmagomedov is also in the frame to be McGregor's next opponent following a dominant victory over Edson Barboza at UFC 219 and a public back-and-forth with the Irishman on Twitter.
Ferguson and Nurmagomedov are currently slated to fight one another at UFC 223 in April, with the winner expected to be in pole position to fight McGregor.
Last but not least is the man responsible for McGregor's sole loss in the UFC, Nate Diaz.
The chances of the youngest Diaz brother facing McGregor for a third time are currently very slim given the fact the UFC brass want their poster boy to defend his title in his next outing.
Shirtless Richard Branson squares off with Conor McGregor
I don’t mind who he fights
However, McGregor vs Diaz III could very well come to fruition if UFC president Dana White makes good on his threat to strip McGregor of the lightweight title.
At this moment in time, the majority of the mixed martial arts world aren't fussed about who McGregor fights next and would just like to see him get back inside the cage.
The same can be said for the Irishman's striking coach, Owen Roddy, who is relishing the prospect of 'The Notorious' returning to the Octagon.
Conor McGregor is in line to fight the winner of Tony Ferguson vs Khabib Nurmagomedov
"For me, I don’t mind who he fights," Roddy told Express Sport. "I’m just excited about getting back in there.
"At first, it was the Diaz trilogy that I thought was going to happen. It looked like that was going to happen."
Like many MMA fans, Roddy is of the belief that Ferguson is the most deserving of the next shot at the lightweight title.
Conor McGregor hits the pads with Owen Roddy during an open workout
"Obviously, Ferguson deserves his shot," he added. "And people are getting behind that fight now. A lot of people are getting behind it.
"The fans seem to want to see it. Ferguson has already said what he has to say.
"So I think that needs to happen before anything else."