Focus on featherweights as UFC returns to Toronto after three-year absence
TORONTO — Another step in filling (The Notorious) Conor McGregor’s sizable featherweight shoes will take place Saturday night at UFC 206 as the MMA juggernaut returns to Toronto for the first time since September 2013.
With the Irish superstar now focusing on his lightweight title, Jose Aldo has been upgraded from interim to featherweight champion. But McGregor’s successor as the undisputed 145-pound title-holder won’t be decided until 2017 when Aldo faces the winner of Saturday’s main event at the Air Canada Centre — either No. 2 contender Max (Blessed) Holloway or No. 5 Anthony (Showtime) Pettis.
Holloway and Pettis are fighting for the same interim title that Aldo won in July via unanimous decision over Frankie (The Answer) Edgar at UFC 200.
Confused? It’s just the UFC’s somewhat clumsy way of restoring order to the championship havoc caused by McGregor ruling two weight classes. The Irish star wanted to defend both titles but the UFC stepped in to avoid a championship logjam that might see fighters in one weight class chaff while McGregor attended to the other division.