In less than a week, Conor McGregor will have his first fight in 15 months. At the first UFC tournament in 2020, he will fight with Donald Cerrone and try to immediately break into the welterweight elite. The Irishman is extremely responsible for this duel, however, even the highest level of tension did not prevent him from paying attention to journalists and answering many questions that worried fans over the past months.
In 2019, McGregor became a defendant in several scandals at once. At first he was arrested in Miami - he was accused of assaulting a fan and robbing. Conor later hit an elderly man in one of Dublin's bars. Among other things, the British Terry Murray said that the Irishman is the father of her child, however, subsequently, the result of a DNA test refuted her words.
But if the former UFC champion in two weight categories has already managed to speak out about incidents in Miami and Dublin, then he avoided discussing the last topic for a long time. This time, he also did not go into details, noting that the tests confirmed that he was right.
“All this lasted for two and a half years. It was hard at certain times. But we have what we have. He (child. - RT ) is not mine, ”McGregor admitted to ESPN.
According to the athlete, over the past year he was often forced to think about extraneous things, which prevented him from concentrating on a career in MMA. But currently, he focuses exclusively on the fight with Cerrone and is making every effort to successfully complete his return to the UFC.
In recent years, many have managed to express doubt that McGregor is motivated enough to pursue a career in mixed martial arts. He has long been one of the highest paid athletes in the world and has his own business, bringing him huge profits. Nevertheless, the Irishman himself assured that he is still burning with the desire to go into the octagon.
“For me, this is not a question of money. In my position, they are always in abundance. No amount will ruin my passion for battles, competitions and performances, the passion for living the way I want and like. Excess money can be dangerous if you have not learned how to handle it before. There are no boundaries, no limits. You are free to choose any business, any direction. I know what I want and like to do, ”the Irishman expressed his opinion.
At the same time, he said that he intends to earn a fabulous amount of money by the standards of MMA for a duel with Donald Cerrone. And this is considering the fact that his fee for the fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov amounted to $ 50 million.
“I expect to receive about $ 80 million. They think that I turned into a toast. But I'm still fresh bread, ”said MacGregor.
The Irishman is not sure that he will follow the example of such fighters as Fedor Emelianenko and Randy Couture, and will perform until the age of 40, but assured that he is not going to end his career yet.
“I think I will still have a couple of saturated years. I know that I will fight until 35. By this moment I’m going to become a billionaire, ”the athlete said.
He also said that he had signed a new agreement with the UFC, but this time made a choice in favor of a short-term contract. He will expire immediately after the fight with the Cowboy, and the ex-champion in featherweight and lightweight will be able to extend the contract.
Earlier in the media it was already reported that McGregor intends to hold three fights in 2020. According to ESPN, after defeating Cerrone, he would like to fight with the holder of the title “toughest bastard” (BMF) Jorge Masvidal, or fight for the welterweight champion belt with Kamaru Usman, after which he would return to the lightweight division and take the title. Nevertheless, the Irishman himself admitted that he could appear in the octagon more times.
“If I go out and defeat Donald in a couple of seconds, which may very well happen, then I will probably move on to the next fight. This is my attitude. (After that. - RT ) I’ll allow myself a sip or two of my whiskey, rest for a day, and then, like after the second fight with (Nate. - RT ) Diaz, I’ll start training on the McGregor Fast program, ”said MacGregor.
It is noteworthy that in addition to Masvidalya and Usman, Justin Gatji was among the possible opponents of McGregor. At the end of 2019, the American lightweight repeatedly harshly spoke out against the Irish and invited him to meet in a cage, but the choice fell on Cerron.
“Together we wanted to organize this battle (with Cerrone. - RT ). Justin went a little too far for some things ... But I'll get to him. He was knocked out by Dustin Porrier and Eddie Alvarez, so the fight with him is very convenient for me, ”the Irishman believes.
McGregor expressed the opinion that even the most severe insults on the part of Gatzy are unable to make this confrontation fundamental. But if the duel with the American does not threaten to become one of the most fierce in the history of the UFC, then his rivalry with Nurmagomedov has long been such. Athletes fought with each other in October 2018, but still have a mutual dislike.
As Conor confirmed, he did not abandon the idea of meeting with Habib at the end of the year, and he wants to do this in the capital of Russia. The ex-champion praised his visit to Moscow, and also expressed the opinion that Nurmagomedov could not avoid this battle.
“He can hide, but not run away. I like this idea. It has to happen. I went to Moscow and it was wonderful. Russia is a great place. I must say that I was impressed, ”said the fighter.
Commenting on the incident with a bottle thrown at him in a Moscow hotel, he admitted that the hostile reaction from Nurmagomedov's fans was not a surprise to him. According to him, this is a natural reaction to his actions and words addressed to Khabib. McGregor agreed that their duel is very difficult to perceive exclusively from a sporting point of view, but admitted that recently he has been trying to relate to it in this way.
“He took a step back and focused on our skills. This is a battle between very skilled fighters. He has his own specific style, and I have my own. A very interesting clash between two motivated athletes, ”said McGregor.
Rarely about something regretting McGregor even admitted that some of his insults to the family, father and religion of Nurmagomedov were superfluous, but added that this is a fighting business. He also did not ignore the statements of Habib that Conor needs to win ten times in a row for revenge.
“This is fear. He does not want this (fight me. - RT ), ”the Irishman assured.
He also expressed an opinion on the battle between Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson. The Irishman did not rule out that one of the fighters could again withdraw due to an injury.
The defeat from Nurmagomedov is still one of the most difficult in McGregor’s career, which raises the question of the reasons for this fiasco. Conor had previously admitted that he was not extremely focused during the training camp, but subsequently spoke about other problems.
“Before the previous fight (with Habib. - RT ) I drank for a week. He was not his own, I do not know what came over me. At the hotel, guys from those parts (from Russia. - RT ) sat out, I called and scheduled a fight. They left the room, went down to the gym, and we had a full battle, without helmets. I won. You know, it was a real war, and I won, knocked out that guy. Then he left to celebrate and returned three days later, ”said MacGregor.
He assured that this time he does not allow himself such liberties and fully complies with the regime. According to the Irishman, he promised his team and loved ones that he would not touch alcohol in preparation for a duel with Cerrone and would follow similar principles in the future.
However, McGregor’s plans are not limited to mixed martial arts. Judging by his words, he does not intend to put an end to his boxing career and is going to perform in the ring again, and is considering a return match with Floyd Mayweather Jr. as one of the options. He said that there was an agreement between them that the revenge would take place in the octagon, but the American did not keep his word.
“I know I would beat Floyd in a rematch. He will not agree to fight in mixed martial arts, as he said earlier. We had to first fight by the rules of boxing, and then - MMA. He himself said so. It was not documented, but was spoken out in words, ”said MacGregor.
At the same time, he admitted that he had the option to face off with another illustrious boxer - the only ever world champion in eight weight categories Manny Pacquiao.
“The negotiations are ongoing. It is very likely (that the battle with Pacquiao will take place. - RT ). There is also an option to fight with Paulie Malignaggi. Do not mind a fight with him. I will box again and win the world title, ”Conor concluded.