Conor McGregor, a famous mixed martial artist, will visit Russia in the near future and give a press conference in Moscow on October 24. The champion of the Absolute Fighting Championship (UFC) in light and lightweight will arrive at the invitation of Parimatch, whose brand ambassador he is.
It is expected that the Irishman will talk about his immediate plans in Russia, comment on the current physical condition and talk in detail about the training plan. It is possible that McGregor will also share information about the continuation of his career and, possibly, will name his next opponent, whom he will meet in the octagon.
Another topic that could be raised is McGregor's new rape charge, which the American media wrote about. Representatives of the athlete denied this information, and the Dublin police, where the crime allegedly occurred, did not issue official statements about this.
Earlier, Ukrainian media reported that McGregor will visit Kiev and meet with reporters there. The reason for this was the recent photo shoot of a wrestler in T-shirts of Donetsk Shakhtar, with whom the betting company also collaborates. However, then the Irishman dived in social networks with the current UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, during which he suggested “see in Moscow” in Russian.
Fans of McGregor hardly took his words seriously, since the wrestler often in the past left similar threats against other athletes. But he soon posted his photo on the background of the coat of arms of Russia, presumably from the country's embassy in Ireland, where he could get a visa for a trip to Moscow. Two days later, information about the arrival of McGregor was confirmed, and he posted the news about the upcoming press conference on his Twitter.
It was with Nurmagomedov that McGregor last fought in the octagon for the last time. He was defeated by a Russian athlete who left behind the UFC championship belt. That fight ended in scandal - after the battle stopped, the team members of two athletes had a brawl, and the fighters themselves were disqualified for several months for their behavior.
Since then, McGregor has repeatedly demanded revenge from Nurmagomedov, while the wrestler from Dagestan did not show great interest in the second match. Nevertheless, the upcoming press conference in Moscow can be considered as one of the stages of promoting a second battle between them. The previous match allowed both of its participants to earn big prize money, and a new fight for the UFC title would be a welcome event for the fans.
It is not yet known whether Nurmagomedov will attend the McGregor press conference. However, due to the fact that relations between the current and former UFC champions remain strained, increased security measures will be organized at the event for the media.
“This is a sports visit where journalists and fans will have the opportunity to chat with Conor, get to know the champion better and be inspired to new victories. On-site security issues are a priority for the organizers, ”a TASS source said.
However, there is reason to believe that talk about a duel with Nurmagomedov at a press conference still will not go. For UFC management, the arrival of McGregor in Russia and the desire to communicate with the media came as a surprise. According to RT, the promotion is not related to the upcoming event. Without at least verbal approval from the organization, McGregor can hardly seriously discuss the details of his fight with a Russian.
Nevertheless, the UFC is still waiting for the Irishman to return to the octagon and again bring profit to the promotion, and to please the fans with his fights. The head of the organization, Dana White, recently admitted that McGregor most of all wants to meet with Nurmagomedov, but so far the Irish should count on other rivals.
“I think he will fight in 2020. Who will be his next opponent? In November, Nate Diaz will meet with Jorge Masvidal, and the winner of this battle may become his opponent. We also have Donald Cerrone and Justin Gatgi. But at the moment, Conor really wants a duel with Nurmagomedov. We’ll see how things develop, ”White said to the Boston Globe.