Conor McGregor previews UFC 328 grudge match, claims middleweight title is already ‘his’

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Conor McGregor previews UFC 328 grudge match, claims middleweight title is already ‘his’

Originally posted on HITC | By Donagh Corby | Last updated May 5, 2026 12:46 PM ET

Conor McGregor appears to be targeting another UFC world title, despite having never competed in that weight class before.

Khamzat Chimaev will put his new middleweight title on the line against former champion Sean Strickland. Their rivalry has been building for some time and fight week looks set to deliver plenty of headlines.

McGregor seems more invested than just a casual viewer. Although he’s never fought at middleweight and is better known for his time at featherweight and lightweight, he seems to believe he’ll be a serious threat at 185lbs soon enough.

Conor McGregor fires off unusual post ahead of UFC 328

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It’s not unusual for Conor McGregor to fire off an unexpected post on X, even though he’s been relatively quiet lately. He’s currently working towards a return to the octagon, with speculation pointing towards a welterweight rematch against Max Holloway, more than a decade after their first bout at featherweight.

McGregor last fought at lightweight in 2021, but since then he has clearly put on size. His next fight is expected to be at 170lb, where he already holds wins over Nate Diaz and Donald Cerrone.

He has previously hinted at interest in fighting as high as 185lb, suggesting that a true ‘BMF’ wouldn’t pay much attention to weight classes. While talking about Strickland vs Chimaev, he even went as far as to say the title up for grabs was already his.

“Very excited for the Newark, New Jersey UFC card, with my 185lb UFC title on the line!” McGregor wrote on X in a post that he quickly deleted. “TUNE IN ON @UFConParamount.”

This article first appeared on HITC and was syndicated with permission.

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