In a week, the first UFC tournament will be held in Las Vegas in 2020, and Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to the octagon will take place in the main battle of the evening. At the moment, he is conducting the final stage of preparation for the fight, but even this does not prevent him from communicating with the press. So, the Irishman gave an interview to ESPN, in which he answered many questions regarding the welterweight, return to the lightweight category and relations with the future opponent in the person of Donald Cerrone.

McGregor announced the date of his return to the cage at a press conference in Moscow, and since then, the athlete's personal fans have been eagerly awaiting his next fight. Given the ongoing feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov, many assumed that the future battle of Conor will be held in lightweight, but he unexpectedly decided to try his hand at welterweight. As a rival, Donald Cerrone was chosen, who most recently completed performances in the division up to 77 kilograms.

It is not surprising that the decision of the Irishman caused a heated discussion both among fans and experts, but later his motives became known. As reported by the American media, McGregor intended to conduct three fights in 2020, two of which should be held in the welterweight. So, he planned to get the better of Cerrone, then beat Jorge Masvydalya, and then go down a category below for a duel with the champion. It was noted that he was not so much concerned about revenge with Nurmagomedov as the title itself.

However, Conor himself pointed out another motive for moving to a heavier weight. According to him, this was done for the sake of Donald, who is not very easy to give weight racers.

“I know that I could (and complicate his life). Just do not think that he will be comfortable performing in lightweight. He is a welterweight fighter. I can beat him in any category, even if I get the flu. So I don’t need it. I would just focus on training and keeping fit. I do not want to lose, gain, and then again lose weight. I’m happy with my current settings, ”said McGregor.

However, the Irishman runs the risk of facing serious problems when meeting an athlete of such dimensions as Cerrone. The Cowboy is almost ten centimeters taller and certainly much heavier. As McGregor himself said, a week before the battle, his weight was about 72.5 kilograms, which is closer to the lightweight limit than the welterweight division.

“I am looking forward to the welterweight fight with great interest. I like this category and what is happening in it now. There and Jorge (Masvidal. - RT ) with his belt, and other fighters fighting for the title. I feel a surge of strength. Here, a lot of additional opportunities open before me, ”the former UFC champion expressed his opinion.

Thus, McGregor may have hinted at his intention to become the first UFC title holder in three divisions. True, this seems difficult to implement due to the size and power of the welterweight. It’s enough to recall that the champion is Kamaru Usman, who weighs about 86 kilograms and surpasses the potential opponent in physical strength.

Nevertheless, McGregor himself assured that he did not intend to put an end to his performances in the lightweight division. According to him, he “did not finish” with him and at any moment can make the necessary weight, but wants to leave the octagon fresh.

Separately, it is worth noting the fact that, in anticipation of a future duel, McGregor behaves unusually respectfully. Fans of mixed martial arts are accustomed to his shocking tricks and an abundance of trash current in the opposite direction, but this time he says absolutely different. According to Conor, he has great respect for Donald, not only because of his vibrant career in MMA, but also his relationship with his family.

However, he recalled the small confrontation between them that took place in September 2015. McGregor has already announced his desire to become a champion in two divisions and was preparing for a duel with the current title holder in lightweight title Rafael dos Agnos. However, Cerrone expressed the opinion that he would not succeed and warned him not to go into this category. A dispute ensued between the athletes, which did not lead to a serious skirmish.

“I said that I would fight him. Donald and I have a story. Not long, true, but still. I will be glad to be back and start my season with a duel with Donald. I look forward to this fight. On January 19 I will shine, work wonders in the octagon, which I have managed many times. Only this time there will be something special, ”concluded MacGregor.

For McGregor, the fight with Cerrone promises to be special for one more reason. According to Essentially Sports, he will earn a record fee for himself in the MMA career, which will be $ 5 million. And this is not taking into account the percentage of paid broadcasts and money from sponsors, which can double his profit. The American will also not remain on the loser and is guaranteed to receive $ 2 million. For comparison, he was paid $ 195 thousand for the fight with Justin Gatgi.

In addition to the interview, McGregor fueled interest in the upcoming tournament by posting a fragment of his training session on Instagram. The lesson was held at the UFC Performance Institute in Las Vegas, opened in May 2017.

View this Instagram post

Posted by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma) Jan 9, 2020 at 8:39 am PST

The Irishman expectedly laid the main emphasis on shock equipment, but practically did not connect his legs. He emphasized boxing skills, which may well speak of his future plan for the fight. Apparently, he fears that he will get tired too quickly, and therefore intends to adhere to the same tactics as in the return duel with Nate Diaz. It is worth recalling that their confrontation took place in the welterweight category.

During their first meeting, McGregor started the battle very actively and used his entire wide arsenal, but in the second round he was noticeably tired and suffered a crushing defeat. Then he took into account the mistakes, seriously limited the number of kicks and succeeded. The bet on boxing turned out to be justified and helped him to first take revenge from Diaz, and then crack down on Eddie Alvarez in the fight for the lightweight title.

At the same time, his wrestling coach Dillon Denis said that Cerrone should not transfer the match to the ground. According to him, McGregor has excellent skills in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and is able to demonstrate them at any time.

“Conor is always ready. He is one of the best jiu-jitsu experts I've had to fight with. His skills are on a different level, it always has been. I think for some reason people underestimate him, but if it comes to the stalls, they will see how good he is, ”Davis quoted The Mac Life as saying.

Irish drummer mentor Owen Roddy paid tribute to Cerrone, but expressed the opinion that McGregor would win an early victory.

“Cerrone is skillful, cunning and versatile. He can create problems at any distance, but everyone has flaws. The thing is to find them and take advantage. Donald is phenomenal. Fans love him and it’s not just like that. The American always gives all the best, but I don’t think that he has the necessary qualities to defeat McGregor. When Conor hits, the question is how long his opponents are able to endure. But usually it does not last long. As soon as he strikes, everything will end with a knockout, ”Roddy said.