Fighting 'tough' fighters isn't the best game plan for him right now, but I don't think there's anyone in his division that he can't beat on a good day except for maybe Khabib. Connor won't be 'busted' after another loss but it's doing damage to his brand for sure and needs a win to bring back faith in him. IF he loses his next fight I'm sure his PPV numbers will start to dwindle, but the last fight was the second highest PPV buys in history second only to his fight against Khabib. Even if he loses his next fight hype can always be built for rematches with several people like Diaz, Aldo, Poirier etc. I think Poirier trilogy will be his best next bet and the easiest fight to get done. Neither of them deserve a title shot right now and both seem willing to fight again and Poirier knows this fight will be his biggest payday. McGregor still gets the PPV draws so he's far from done. If he does take the Poirier rematch and loses that isn't going to be a good look though. He really needs to win that one. If McGregor does get back in form maybe someday down the line he can meet Khabib again which would almost certainly break UFC records. One or both of the fighters could bow out after that one.
Yeah, I don't think Conor will never be truly "done", however his flamboyant attitude does seem to have been watered down a little since his previous fights, and to be honest I quite like that side of him. However, the reason Conor brings in so many PPVs, and fans from all walks of life is maingly due to his attitude to other fighters, but not only that he's been known to deliver on the night also. Casual fans, and dedicated ones will often quote his "who the fook is this guy" line. When you think of Conor you think of trash talking, for example his fight between him, and mayweather the press conference before that was comedy gold. Now, Conor only really showed respect to Poirier, but are we going to see Conor continue along that path, or will he revert to his usual tactics, and put on a show? He's a fantastic fighter, and I love his style. I'm actually a big fan of him, but I have questions of whether he wants to be there fighting, and I know that he's stated that he's looking to fight multiple times in the UFC this year, but I'm not sure if there's any weight behind that.
I do think he needs to fight a tough opponent next though, just because I'd like him to prove the doubters wrong, and partially prove me wrong too. I want to see Conor at his best, because I don't think anyone can argue otherwise, he's very exciting to watch, but also does a lot of good for mixed martial arts.
In that weight class, there's several tough fighters, and the reason why I think its important for him to go for a tough fight, is you'll quickly get left behind in the division otherwise, because its absolutely rammed full of talent.
That's not to say Conor will disappear, but as a fan of Conor I want to see him wanting to prove everyone wrong, and becoming the best fighter he can be, because that's when us fans will be in for a treat.