UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor is just eight days away from attempting to make history, when he challenges UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez in the main event of UFC 205 in attempt to become the first man in promotion’s history to hold two titles in different weight classes simultaneously.
When it is all said and done come fight night, however, much speculation has begun to arise regarding ‘The Notorious One’s’ future inside the Octagon, as many seem to believe the Irishman is set to take a significant amount of time off after he clashes with Alvarez in New York.
One such report came from the Irish Mirror which stated that McGregor and his longtime girlfriend are planning on starting a family together. The 145-pound champ addressed this particular report during yesterday’s (Thursday November 3, 2016) media conference call to promote the event, stating that it is nothing more than a ‘click-bait’ rumor:
“I think it’s absolutely crazy mentioning a click-bait crowd like that, the Irish Mirror, what the f*ck is that? Who even is that? They don’t know sh*t about me. Stay tuned to what I’m announcing, but don’t be listening to people like that. People like that don’t know nothing to what is going on here. I’ll reveal all in time.”
McGregor was asked a follow-up question regarding the issue, being asked if he does indeed plan to take some time off from mixed martial arts (MMA) competition after his New York throw-down. ‘Notorious’ responded by stating he will continue to continue his record-breaking career, and isn’t particularly sure if it is possibly to take time off from the lifestyle that he currently lives:
“I don’t know whether you can take time off with this life. I just stay working, stay creating history, stay changing the game. That’s what I’ve been doing since day one. Now here we are close to the New York debut, Madison Square Garden, we broke the Ali vs. Frazier attendance of 20,000 I believe. I’m hearing that. We broke the gate record of 14 million set by Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield, so they’re two amazing contests, two historical fights, and I broke them both. So it’s an honor to do that, and that’s it I’ll just continue changing the game, continue breaking records, continue to put this game onto that next level like I have been doing since day one. So that’s my plans.”
McGregor has yet to defend the 145-pound title he won back in December at UFC 194, when he dethroned longtime featherweight kingpin Jose Aldo in 13 seconds with a vicious counter-left hand, and UFC President Dana White has claimed that if McGregor does emerge victorious over Alvarez, he will be forced to vacate one of the titles.
‘Mystic Mac’ has remained very adamant when asked about White’s comments that it would take a ‘f*cking army’ to take both belts from him, but as far as the question goes he simply just wants to enjoy the moment he has currently found himself in now, worrying about the future later:
“Vacate? We’ll see about that. Why not defend them both? I mean I fight every week. I only fought last week. I can defend them both.”
“Everyone always looks ahead too much, talking about vacate the belts and all this other stuff, or lets talk Vegas. Let’s enjoy this moment right now, because it took so long to get here. So many hours went into getting the UFC into New York City and now here we are. Now here we are, a potential two weight world champion. All these historic — super-fights, champion vs. champion, the first time a champion has gone up. These are all historic moments and everybody is talking about ‘after’. ‘We gotta take that belt off him, we gotta get back to Vegas.’ Let’s just enjoy this historic moment for what it is.”
McGregor holds a perfect record competing in the UFC’s 145-pound weight class, with six knockout finishes out of his seven contests at in the division, and is baffled by those who believe he can no longer make the weight to compete in the division that he has dominated for the past two years.
Now with his new journey barely getting underway at 155 pounds, and his eyes set on becoming the division’s champion on the biggest stage in MMA history, McGregor is ready to dominate both divisions at once:
“Wherever I choose to go, I am prepared to go there. I feel great at this weight, I’m a lot leaner, I’m still eating a hell of a lot of food. Obviously it’s tougher to get to featherweight, I think it’s crazy how they say I can’t get to featherweight no more or crazy things — like I ain’t the undisputed champion, like I haven’t gotten in there and taken out that whole division as early as last year. December of last year that was, how many months is that? That wasn’t even a year ago. What’s that ten, eight months? Ten months, whatever. Then they talk about stripping and vacating and all this type of stuff, it’s like hang on a minute. What did I just go and do there? Did I not just go take out that division? Am I not that champion? Wherever I sign I’m going to fight, you best believe I’m gonna show up and be prepared. 145 I’m the champion, I took out them all. I’m damn good at 145 and I’m even better at 155, so wherever.”
With the rumors continuing to be the biggest thing on the minds of all MMA fans heading into the monumental contest, many have begun to question McGregor’s love for the sport after having accomplished anything and everything a UFC fighter could hope to in their fighting career.
When asked if he still holds love for the sport, the Irishman responded by claiming that not only is he not yet getting tired of competing, but he is getting better and better at it all day:
“Of course I love it. it’s all I do. I don’t do nothing else. I continue to show up, I continue to fight, I continue to put on these amazing events for the amazing fans of this sport. Of course I love what I do, and not only am I not getting tired of it, I’m actually getting better at it. I’m a lot more in control of everything and that goes right down the line from the media content I’m giving out — I’m just in control of absolutely everything in my life. I keep getting better, and that’s at everything — not just skill wise, not just cardio wise, not just nutrition wise, not — everything! Business, media, everything, you name it. I get better each and every day.”
With all of the accomplishments McGregor has claimed he will certainly go down as one of the sport’s greatest fighters of all time, but as far as where he ranks amongst the rest, McGregor believes he will be the greatest of all time with a win over Alvarez in Madison Square Garden:
“Numero uno. I am the all time great. That’s it, I’ll raise them two belts, numero uno. What do they got to say now? Who else done it? Show me the other guy that has done this. Show me him. Cause I don’t see him.”
McGregor and Alvarez will meet in the main event of UFC 205 for the lightweight title live on pay-per-view (PPV), from the Madison Square Garden arena in New York City on November 12, 2016.
You can check out the full UFC 205 conference call between McGregor and Alvarez here:
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