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Conor McGregor's coach: Chasing welterweight title next 'wouldn't surprise me at all'

For those thinking Conor McGregor is crazy for attempting to become the first reigning multi-divisional champion at UFC 196 against lightweight champ, Rafael dos Anjos, you ain't seen nothin' yet.

According to McGregor's head coach, John Kavanagh, UFC welterweight champion Robbie Lawler could soon find himself in McGregor's crosshairs – assuming he can dethrone dos Anjos, of course.

"I've seen that rumors of Conor fighting Robbie Lawler for the 170-pound belt at UFC 200 on July 9 have been gathering momentum," Kavanaugh said. "It's not something we have discussed specifically but after Conor wins the lightweight belt, it wouldn't surprise me at all if the next fight is for the welterweight belt.

Conor McGregor takes questions from the media during a UFC press conference on Jan. 20. (Getty)
Conor McGregor takes questions from the media during a UFC press conference on Jan. 20. (Getty)

McGregor will attempt to make history on March 5 by becoming the first dual-weight champ in UFC history. The idea of McGregor chasing a third belt against Lawler is almost beyond comprehension.

Lawler has become one of the most violent champions in UFC history in just a short period of time, and is coming off of, arguably, back-to-back-to-back fight of the year classics. But McGregor is about setting records and collecting titles, and if he wants Robbie Lawler, Kavanaugh is fully behind his prize pupil.

"If that's what Conor wants to do, I'll absolutely support that move," he said. "I think that would be fantastic. We're already talking about making history in a few weeks, but can you imagine what it will be like if Conor is the champion in three weight classes by the summer?"

He continued, "As time goes on, it's harder to predict what will happen in the future. Conor has a sort of unusual body type in that even though he can make featherweight, he's still a very big lightweight.

"Given some time, as well as a bit of strength and conditioning work, he could also be a force at welterweight. This is an interesting time."

An interesting time indeed.

McGregor is one of, if not the, largest featherweight in divisional history. At 5-foot-10 and with a 74-inch reach, the Irishman has been able to maintain a rare combination of muscle mass and sheer size during his time as a UFC fighter. One look at this photo next to former 185-pound champ Chris Weidman is all the reference you need to see just how physically opposing McGregor must be for featherweights.

In his newest endeavor at lightweight, though (and potentially welterweight, as crazy as it may seem), McGregor will be losing out on two of his most valued assets: his size and power.

It's one thing being larger and more powerful against the likes of Jose Aldo and Chad Mendes, but Robbie Lawler (and to a lesser extent, dos Anjos) is an entirely different beast.

Still, the possibility of McGregor even being open to ascending to another weight class is enticing.

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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or