That was a lot of trash talk.
It was almost difficult to process at times, but through the noise there was one signal, and that signal was clear.
Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez are confident in their ability to defeat the other man in the main event of UFC 205.
That event is the one you may have heard about, the one on Saturday, Nov. 12 that serves as the first pro MMA event in Madison Square Garden in New York. If you can believe it, there’s some hype surrounding this card, which is full of compelling fights and fighters. McGregor, the reigning featherweight champ who is challenging Alvarez for the lightweight strap in a bid to become the first simultaneous dual champ in UFC history, believes it is his show on that evening—to Alvarez’s detriment.
McGregor said of Alvarez in a conference call with media members Thursday:
I’m going to toy with this man. I will rearrange his facial structure. His wife and kids won’t recognize him again. He will not fight after this. He will not look the same. He will not think the same. … I will retire him this fight. He’s been through a hell of a lot of wars. But this will be it for him. You’re going to be badly, badly hurt, Eddie.
To a reasonable extent, Alvarez was up to the challenge Thursday, returning verbal fire at the challenger. One particularly needle-like talking point was the lightweight champ’s assertion that McGregor avoided a fight with Frankie Edgar and that Alvarez’s own style mirrors Edgar’s.
“You ran from Frankie for two years like a little bitch and picked everyone but him,” Alvarez said to McGregor.
McGregor also reflected extensively on his desire to be a two-division UFC champ. No one has ever held two UFC belts at the same time.
“It hasn’t been done before,” McGregor said. “It’s never been even close to reality in the game. To do it on a stage like this? This will be one of my shining moments.”
Alvarez seems intent on thwarting him. Speaking to the Sportsmail earlier in the day, Alvarez said he wanted to silence the charismatic Irishman.
“As far as shutting his [McGregor] mouth and giving him some humility, it will be an honour,” Alvarez said in that interview. “A lot of people will show up to cheer for him but a lot of people are also going to show up and enjoy watching him be defeated.”
Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com