(Props: YouTube.com/UFC)
The UFC held a media press conference for UFC Fight Night 26 today in Boston, featuring eight of the main card fighters as well as Irish featherweight Conor McGregor and his opponent Max Hollaway, who will be facing off on the prelims. You want to talk about hype? The press conference began with the unveiling of a fan-made Conor McGregor poster, for God’s sake. Hollaway was asked how he felt about all the attention that McGregor has been receiving lately, but really, that question would be better answered by main card fighters Matt Brown, Mike Pyle, Uriah Hall, and John Howard, who didn’t get a spot at the table thanks to the King of Dublin.
Some highlights from the presser…
– 1:08: The first question comes from Kevin Iole, who asks Mauricio “Shogun” Rua to explain why he hasn’t been able to string together any victories lately. So we’re off to a pretty good start.
– 8:29: Chael Sonnen think that MMA judges do a fine job overall, although “when people are judging people, it’s never fair. It’s not fair in rodeo, it’s not fair in gymnastics, and we’ve got problems in this sport.”
– 10:35: “Dere’s two tings I really like dadiew, and that’s whoop ass and look good, and I’m doin’ wunnadem right now, and Saturday night I’m gonna do deeudda.” – McGregor
– 11:52: Ariel Helwani asks Chael why fans should watch the fights on Saturday. Hilarity ensues. Chael then gets serious and cuts a rather impressive promo about how UFC Fight Night 26 could be the most-viewed combat sports event in TV history.
– 14:09: Michael Johnson mentions World Series of Fighting, immediately regrets it.
– 18:04: ”I’ve got a moral obligation to beat up a lot of guys that I haven’t got to yet, and I will go to whatever weight I need to.” – Sonnen
– 27:15: Dana White blows off some steam about the Culinary Union’s continuous trolling of this event since it was announced.
– 29:25: Dana’s old Boston accent begins to leak through as he pronounces “hockey” as “hawkey.”
– 30:36: Ariel asks Alistair Overeem about the relative lack of attention he’s getting on this event. “Ariel had to have his dick moment today,” Dana says. “There you go, he got it in. Good job, Ariel.”
– 33:32: Sonnen adds another monologue to his trash-talk highlight reel, blasting “Little Nerd” for pulling out of his scheduled fight against Rua. Best part: “Every time Lil’ Nog or Vitor Belfort signs a contract, I go into training camp, because I know an opportunity is going to open up.”