The UFC 196 pre-fight press conference lived up to the hype. UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor and No. 5-ranked lightweight contender Nate Diaz traded barbs at the UFC Gym in Torrance, California.
One of the more interesting comments from McGregor came when Fox Sports host Karyn Bryant asked the champion about his plans for UFC 200. She wanted to know if he was looking to fight against lightweight title holder Rafael dos Anjos or even welterweight champion Robbie Lawler.
McGregor was non-committal and said it would be difficult to sign up for another fight against dos Anjos after he pulled out of their UFC 196 encounter.
The outspoken star repeatedly claimed that dos Anjos bowed out of the contest due to a bruised foot. The official prognosis from the champion and the UFC is that his foot is broken, but that didn’t stop McGregor from taking shots at the injured champion. He also hurled a gendered insult toward both dos Anjos and Frankie Edgar (warning: contains NSFW language).
McGregor said the UFC 196 bout was offered to Edgar, but he did not take the fight. UFC President Dana White told Yahoo Sports’ Kevin Iole that Edgar turned down the opportunity due to an injury.
If McGregor does defeat Diaz in the UFC 196 main event, it bears watching where he and the UFC go for his next bout. UFC 200 is the logical destination, but the choice for his opponent is certainly up for debate. Plenty of participants figure to be eager to stand opposite the cage against the Irishman.
Weight does not matter to McGregor. At the press conference, he exclaimed that the only weight he cares about is the weight of his checks, and his checks are “Super Heavyweight.” If he adds another win to his record, we shall see who McGregor and the UFC considers the biggest fight.
It may be dos Anjos and the lightweight championship as McGregor reaches for history, but based on his comments Wednesday, it won’t be easy to get him to commit to another bout with the Brazilian.
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