McGregor meets White for first time
After the Brimage fight, McGregor meets White for the first time on camera. They talk about the Brimage fight and invites him to fight in Dublin and Boston.
White: Welcome to the UFC. There’s been a lot of hype. I guess the hype is real. Marcus Brimage was a tough dude.
McGregor: Yeah man, he’s tough. I hit him in a few shots.
While: You hurt him a lot before you finished him.
…
White: People are going crazy on Twitter. And I’m sorry they were f-cking with your flag. What the f-ck are they doing fighting with the kid’s flag?
Collins talks about McGregor’s boxing skills
Paschal Collins, comments on McGregor’s boxing skills, after he beats Max Holloway.
Honestly, I think he will be a phenomenon in Boston. He’s an aggressive fighter, he’s great with his hands and he’s quick with his tongue too – he’s everything that the Americans think an Irishman should be. I was just looking at him the last time he was down here and his eyes were dancing around in his head – he’s a bit of a madman and I suppose you have to be in the fight game. He’s just got that star quality, it’s clear for everyone to see and he deserves it. He works hard, he fights hard and I wish him all the best on Saturday…Conor already had a pedigree in boxing from his early days in Crumlin when he came up to us. It was really his first martial art. It’s been a while since he has been down with us. He was just about to head off to Sweden before I saw him last time, but I’ve always been very impressed by what he can bring to the table. The first time he came up to us was about two years ago, but his development in that period has been unbelievable. His approach is second to none, he’s confident and he has natural power and ability – and that’s priceless in this game. What we can never quite believe is the amount of work he puts in. A lot of times he’d be down to us in the afternoon and he would’ve already been grappling for the whole morning. He comes down here and he can hold his own with world champions like Spike and Stephen, he’s a very capable boxer.
Sentana interview
McGregor is interviewed by Setanta MMA, he talks about his motivations, his coaching, goals, and money.
Every boy gets into fights. I was never bullied. Fights would happen, you’re growing up on the street, playing football or whatever. For me, it stuck in my head. Maybe another boy would forget about it. But for me, Idwelled on it. What way should I have moved there? He did this, maybe if I done that it would have turned out better. It began to build in my mind that I wanted to become really good at this, to defend myself in any situation. So I went from gym to gym – kickboxing, boxing, grappling, wrestling, just trying to learn different ways the body can move, to attack and defend. It became an obsession and before you know it you’re headlining in football stadiums.
How much better can he get?
I’m only getting better. I’m only scratching the surface but I’m still better than any one of them. I’m taking over the game, in every way shape and form.
London Face Off: McGregor taunts Aldo about not bringing belt
At the Face Off in London with Aldo, McGregor taunts the Brazilian for not bringing his belt.
You forgot your belt. You forgot your belt…It’s a mental sign. It’s ok, it’s a mental sign….
To reporters:
He hasn’t wanted a hold of that belt for the whole trip. He wants it away from him. You haven’t wanted to hold it. Translate that for him.
Responds to ‘mean tweets’
McGregor reads out and responds to ‘mean tweets’ that have been sent to him ahead of UFC 189.
Tweet: Conor McGregor is like a little angry ginger cat
CMcG: A lion? A tiger. A leopard. A cheetah! But I’m not angry.
McGregor: ‘I would kill Mayweather in 30 seconds’
In an interview with Esquire, McGregor calls out Mayweather.
I look at him as a rookie in ten other areas. If you can box, what happens if I grab hold of your legs? If you put me face-to-face with Floyd Mayweather—pound-for-pound boxing’s best—if I fought Floyd, I would kill him in less than thirty seconds. It would take me less than thirty seconds to wrap around him like a boa constrictor and strangle him.
McGregor gives emotional interview about young fan who died of cancer
In the buildup to the UFC 189 fight against Mendes, McGregor tells the story of Brendan Malone, a young fan, who died of cancer.
I got a phone call from a person at the UFC, saying the Make a Wish Foundation has reached out to them, and this kid has cancer or leukemia. And this is going to be his last wish, and his last wish is going to be to talk on the phone to you, and I didn’t know what the…so I rang the kid and we talked for a long, long time. I talked with his friends in the hospital and his family. And today, or last night, he passed away. It f-cked my head up because this little kid is in Ireland, and I’m telling the kid ‘I’m gonna take this belt, and I’ll bring the belt to you’, and I was saying we’re going to raise the belt up together.
Inside the Mac Mansion
McGregor gives a tour of the mansion he is renting in las Vegas.
I wrote out some rules. The Mac Mansion house rules. Rule No. 1 Don’t talk about Fight Club…Rule 5: This is the rule that’s to do with the fridge. No processed sugars, treats, desserts. I don’t want to come down here to the fridge and see a big cake staring at me at the face and tempting me, ‘cos then I’ll eat the whole damn thing.
McGregor, Faber tussle
McGregor and Faber tussle in the corridor at UFC189. McGregor:
I could have thrown him on his head right there and then, nothing happened.
UFC 189: Weigh-in
McGregor and Mendes weigh in. McGregor:
Chad is an overgrown midget. I’m gonna hit him, I’m gonna cut him in half and raise gold for Ireland.
Mendes can barely be heard above Irish fans booing.
UFC 189: McGregor defeats Mendes
McGregor defeats Mendes for the Interim Featherweight title, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. McGregor is the first UFC champion from the Republic of Ireland. During the fight he spends much of the first two rounds on his back, but he finishes the fight a big left hand that puts Mendes down in the 58th second of the second round. McGregor pounds away for the stoppage and then jumps onto the cage in celebration.
UFC 189: Octagon interview
McGregor and Mendez give post-fight interviews in the octagon. McGregor:
I’m absolutely blown away by the support…I’ve been hearing all the while that I’ve been protected from this style of opponent, that I’ve been gifted a title shot. So when my title shot went running and they gave me the challenge I was supposed to be protected from, I decided that I’m just going to prove to people that I’m a true fighter. It doesn’t matter who it is, I’ll show up and I’ll put a finish on any fighter.
Mendes:
First of all I want to thank Conor for accepting on two weeks…The guy’s tough. He’s got the talk to back it u. These Irish guys are crazy.
UFC 189: Backstage interview
McGregor is interviewed by Olivi backstage after the fight.
I’m overwhelmed. It was a lot of work to get here…it’s been a long road, a lot of hard work. A lot of dedication…He’s a phenomenal athlete. Takedown isn’t enough in this business. I knew he was tired. I was winning every exchange, so I knew he was breaking bit by bit. I figured it would happen like that, it would be up and down, but I wold be getting the better of the exchanges. And I put him down.
Early interview: McGregor got into MMA so people would ‘leave him alone’
McGregor talks about why he got into MMA.
I just got into it. I didn’t really care about sport. Like I didn’t care about sport fighting. I didn’t get in it to be the all Ireland champion or the world champion. I just got in it so people would say ‘right, this guy can do this’ or ‘this guy does a bit of training or does something, we’ll just watch him. We’ll just leave him alone’. That was how I started doing it and, it turns out I was good at it and, I just got lost in it then and it became more than just that.
McGregor-Garbrandt fight
McGregor criticizes TJ Dillashaw (who is not present) on the show The Ultimate Fighters, telling Faber that he is only in it for himself. Garbrandt gets up and starts to push him. The two fighters are held back by the rest of the group. McGregor:
Loyalty’s a strong thing for me, and I respect loyalty a lot. But I absolutely despise people who are disloyal. People who bite the hand that feeds them. I cannot relate to that in any sway, shape or form. I certainly feel TJ is a little snake in the grass. Hes in here for his own benefit. I simply told that to him and I mean the truth can hurt.
‘Trump can shut his big mouth’
UFC’s McGregor criticizes Trump for his negative tweet about Rousey (he had called her “a bad person”).
It’s easy for someone that’s not in there to comment, but it’s different when you’re in there. The emotions are high. It is what it is. You either want to touch gloves or you don’t. That means nothing, so Donald can shut his big, fat mouth. I don’t give a f-ck about Donald Trump.
UFC 194: McGregor defeats Aldo
McGregor defeats Aldo in 13 seconds, the fastest finish in any UFC title fight.
As the fight starts McGregor takes the center of the octagon. McGregor misses a straight left hand, followed with a leg kick that connects. As Aldo hits with a right-left punch combination, McGregor connects his first punch then hist Aldo’s chin with a left hook that leaves Aldo unconscious. As Aldo falls to the ground, McGregor connects with two hammer fists before the referee stops the fight. Within a minute, Aldo regains consciousness.
Cerrone: McGregor’s a ‘pussy’
Cerrone says he is tired of McGregor’s posturing.
Give me Conor McGregor. I’ll fight that p***y. Other than that, I don’t care. Tell that dude to slow his f-king roll. You can’t be just calling out 170-pounders. So, whatever. Enough of him.
Disabled fan’s ‘miracle’
Graham Merrigan, an Irish McGregor fan, recounts watching him fight.
The last fight with Aldo, I was in my friends house. I was in shock that it ended in 13 seconds. I nearly tried to stand up. My friend stood up and I used my friend’s shoulder and I was like, ‘Oh they don’t work’. He almost brought me to my feet. He nearly made a miracle!
Crashes fan’s apartment
While driving around Las Vegas McGregor spots a cardboard cutout of himself on a fan’s balcony, and decides to pay a surprise visit.
I’m here on the West Coast. Like most fights I usually come out here two, three weeks before. But every time I come back it seems to be a little bit more crazy with the fans. They’ve been treating me like I’m one of their own. I’ve been driving to the gym and I drive past this guy’s apartment, and on the balcony he’s got Irish flags, and a cardboard cut out of me. Now we’re gonna drop in to him and see what he’s about…
In the fan’s place:
I’m blown away by this…I’m gonna put on a show for you.
Fan:
Every Saturday before the fight I put up my cardboard cutout, I put up the flag, and I put up the banner. The only thing I can say is, that feeling he had with Jose Aldo when he knocked him out and became the champ. Hands down, that’s how it felt tonight. That’s how amazing it was.
