UFC 196: Post-fight press conference
Diaz and McGregor talk at the post-fight press conference. McGregor:
It’s a bitter pill to swallow. I took a shot, I went at it. I feel I was inefficient with my energy. Usually I fight a man in the division I am champion in, and they crumble under those shots. But Nate took them well. The weight allowed him to take those shots well…It was simply a battle of energy and he got the better of that.
Diaz:
I knew I was the superior boxer, the superior martial artist, the superior Jiu-jitsu…so nothing surprised me, except that I got hit at all…The last few years I’ve been curious when it was going to pay off, and this is the time.
UFC 200 press conference
White introduces the fighters fro UFC 200. He talks about McGregor:
Listen, Conor’s going to fight again. He’s going to fight at UFC 201, 202, 203 – whatever the deal might be. We’ll see what’s next when that plays out. But (UFC) 200 is the fight everybody’s been looking to for a long time. It is what it is. The show’s going to roll on, and Conor will fight again.
Faber: ‘Stay away from boxing, Conor’
I want the fights that matter, and I don’t know what that timetable is, but I’ve told the UFC brass I want big fights – fights that are going to put money in their pockets, money in my pockets, and staple me as one of the best of all-time.
I actually like Conor. He’s got a mouth on him, I love talking back and forth with him. He’s got some wit about him, he’s got a weakness for Northern California fighters [Nate Diaz] and he’s got a weakness in his submission game, we know that. But he’s a powerful dude…[But] stay away from boxing, Conor. Not that he can’t do great over there, but this is a sport he loves, this is a sport he’s been training for.
UFC 202 Tickets On-Sale press conference
White, McGregor and Diaz appear at the UFC 202 Tickets On-Sale Press Conference.
McGregor, Diaz face off
McGregor and Diaz face off after the Tickets On-Sale Press Conference. McGregor asks White to let them go face-to-face, but White keeps them apart. McGregor:
Let’s go face to face. I wanna see his eyes.
Diaz, McGregor conference call
In a conference call for UFC 202, McGregor says he will beat Diaz in the second round.
I know I said I was going to stop the guy in the first round (at UFC 196) but if I really look at it I thought he has a solid chin, he’s durable, he’s very experienced. He has the size and the weight on me and I think that was the wrong thing to go in expecting the first round (finish). And I did go out to KO him in the first round, nobody can say that (I didn’t). I marched forward and backed him up against the fence and teed off on his head. I did what I said I would do. But respect to him. He stuck it out and he was durable, he was experienced. He weathered the storm. I’m still going to march forward, I’m still going to press him, I’m still going to bust him. There’s just going to be a lot more in my tank. I’m going to be a lot more prepared for a man that can stay in there with me. But even still, I struggle to give him past round three. If I was to make a prediction which I will right now, I believe I will repay the favour and KO him inside the second round.
Calls Cena ‘a fat, failed Mr Olympia’
At a gym day to promote UFC 202, McGregor expands on his comments about WWE wrestlers, particularly calling out Cena.
What’s the main guy? John Cena. He’s 40. He’s 40 years of age. He’s walking around in a luminous orange t-shirt and a headband talking about nobody can see him. We can see him right there. He’s a big fat, 40-year-old failed Mr. Olympia mother f*cker…Ric Flair’s a legend but as far as gimmicks, this is the real thing over here. I think these WWE guys, they’re not right in the head some of them. I mean the new guys are dweebs, let’s be honest, absolute dweebs but the old school guys are legends…I don’t know what to say to Ric Flair. This ain’t no gimmick, this is the real shit. I’ve got to get in there and fight a man for real. With no script, with no nothing.
Like I said, no disrespect to the dons of the game, the McMahons, [WWE CEO Vince McMahon] is a f*cking legend. They wrote Vinny off a few years ago when he dropped from the billions and then he rose back up and now he’s back in the billionaire club. What he’s been able to do with that bunch of dweebs he has over there at the moment has been phenomenal and I respect him for that. And then of course the OGs of the game, The Rock, Stone Cold, they’re cool mother f*ckers. Even Ric Flair is a cool mother f*cker…I’m just speaking the truth. That new age of those guys are absolute dweebs. They just seem messed up in the head. I don’t know what it is. When I listen to them talk, when I listen to them carry themselves, they just don”t seem right in the head. That might have been a bit rudeness for me to say, but again: It ain’t trash talk, it’s truth talk.
McGregor on Mayweather: ‘Show me the money’
At the UFC 202 press scrum, McGregor talks about Mayweather.
Right now, I have Floyd running around the Showtime offices gathering my money. That’s what he’s doing. He’s running around the Showtime offices, begging those executives to come up with the $100 million cash he needs to fight me. As soon as he gets my money, we can fight…Look, If you want to fight me, we can fight. If you need a specific rule set to protect you from a true fight, that’s no problem. Just make sure that money is there. As long as that money is there, we can fight under your safe net of rules. With me, I don’t need rules. I am the f-cking rules.
I’ve got the boxing community saying “I can’t box”, and then I say “okay lets fight,” “Oh well you can’t kick or elbow or grapple… as long as you can’t do that then we’ll box your ass up.” And then I’ve got the grappling community saying “I can’t grapple” so I say “okay let’s fight” and then the grappling community [say] “oh well you can’t box or kick, as long as you can’t do that, then we’ll grapple your ass up”. All these people saying I can’t do this or I can’t do that, well lets fight then and then all of a sudden rules, you need to bring in rules to protect them. I don’t need no rules to protect me, I can fight any way.
I don’t really hold it against [Floyd], I wouldn’t wanna come into my world no way. I mean how is he gonna come into my world, he’s a novice where I come from. He’s a phenomenal boxer, a phenomenal athlete, an intelligent businessman, but he’s a novice in true fighting and that’s just simple fact. I don’t blame him, trying to set rules under the boxing rules. And like I said, I’ve no problem going over there. I would not show up unconfident. I would show up to kill that man and take that win down 100%. Why dominate one world when you can dominate two? We’ll see how that plays out.
UFC 202 Pre-fight Press Conference
White will introduce McGregor, Diaz, Johnson and Teixeira at the UFC Pre-fight Press Conference. Starting 1pm PT/ 4pm ET/ 9pm GMT.
‘F-ck Team Diaz’
McGregor appears at his final session for the media.
F-ck the Diaz brothers. F-ck those cockroaches…We came here ready for war, not to throw little bitch bottles and go runnin’. We’re here ready to fight, so let’s go! That fairy tale he had is coming to an end. He can be knocked out, and he will be knocked out…My legacy is set in stone. It was set in stone when Jose crumbled. This is something separate from this. I came in here for a straight fight…Like I said, Fuck team Diaz, and if you’re down with Team Diaz, then f-ck you too.
Post-fight press conference
McGregor gives his first press conference after the fight.
It was not easy. It was a war. I’m happy it went that way. I got to show my heart in there.
On Diaz helping him up at the end.
He’s a class competitor. It’s intense in the build up and everything is real. If my team saw his team then something’s going down. We’ll regroup and gather up for another battle.
Is 170 done for you?
I wanna to get my abs back. I can’t get abs at this weight. Sometimes I feel I’m a bit of a fat belly. I’m going to go down weight. I’m the 145 pound champion. It will be on my terms this time. He was way bigger than the last time. I knew I was up agaisnt it. I was thinking this might be a mistake, but I said, f-ck it, I’ll train hard, be smart, learn from our mistakes and go in. But I belive that if we do it it’ll be 155, maybe for the belt.
On the leg kicks:
Fuck leg kicks. My leg is a bitch.
On the scoring
I felt I won the fight. 3-2 was a fair opinion. I won that fight and I’m happy with it. My respect to my opponent. He’s a hell of a fighter.
UFC 205 press conference
White introduces McGregor and Alvarez at the UFC 205 press conference. McGregor, on his value to the company:
4.2 billion dollars that’s what I’m worth to this company!
On his earnings:
[For UFC 202] $25 million baby! I feel by the time 2016 closes out I’ll be closing out on $40 million. This has been a good year for me.
On the move to Lightweight:
I’m very happy with the 155 pound weight limit. Of all the divisions I’ve ran through and around I feel 155 will be the one where I take over the most. So I look forward to that…I’m gonna put one belt on one shoulder, and the other belt on the other shoulder. You’re gonna need a f-ckin’ army to take those belts off of me…
Is Mystic Mac back?
I have nothing against Edward…I run New York. I run this whole shit, and Mystic Mac predicts I’m going to KO you in one round!..The Irish built this town. We built this damn city. Now we’re taking it back. I’m going to take out one of your own. But make no mistake, it’s all love.
He’s chinny. He has a chin. He gets cracked. He gets dropped. He’s a weathered fighter. He’s on his way out. He’s very lucky to be in the position he is in…One round it will take me to knock him out. This guy’s a balloon. He’s gonna be shooting panic. And that’s all she wrote!
Update on leg:
That fight was five weeks ago. I cam e out of that fight fresher than I wnt in. Look at Nate’s face. Nate will never look the same. I looked the same. I had a bruised foot…I was chillin here waiting for the call, and then the call came last minute, and I jumped on a plane. I’m brand new…I said it out straight ‘Beg me’, and they begged me.
On Alvarez:
He didn’t even negotiate new money for himself. Imagine that. Look at everyone up here. This is a lottery fight. They all dressed like me, they all talk like me. They all trying to to be me. Everyone in the game wants this fight. And this man took it on his last contract. Imagine getting the biggest fight in the history of the game, and saying shut your mouth kid you;re getting paid what you got paid what you got paid for your last fight…He’s just another broke bum, trying to sell some shit. Just another broke bum who can’t pay his bills…You’re blessed that I chose you. You’re blessed that I choose to whoop your ass.
Alvarez:
You ain’t got a shot. You’re here because you’re the easiest dude in this division.
‘Who the f-ck is this guy?’
When McGregor is asked who would be the toughest challenge for him after the Alvarez fight, Stephens says:
This guy right here (points to self): the hardest hitter. This guy (pointing to McGregor) TKOs people, when I knock people out they don’t f-cking move.
To which McGregor responds:
Who the f-ck is this guy? Who the f-ck is that?
UFC 205 Media Conference Call
Alvarez and McGregor a appear live on a conference call to talk about UFC 205. Alvarez:
I hate when people say you’re defending your title. I don’t defend shit. My job is to finish the opponent. I’m not defending anything…I’ve fought better opponents, but this card is going to break every single record in UFC history…The guys he’s faced aren’t close to the caliber that I am. He will realize he’s been fighting good style match-ups and he’s f-cked.
McGregor:
I’m going to toy with this man. I’m going to really, truly rearrange his facial structure. His wife and kids won’t recognize him again…I know he’s durable, but I don’t believe he’s been hit like anybody by me. I still can’t see him lasting longer than a round.
UFC 205 pre-fight press conference
McGregor and Alvarez will appear at the UFC pre-fight press conference live from Madison Square Garden at 3pm/12pm ETPT (8pm UK time).
Alvarez walks out after McGregor no show
Alvarez walks out of UFC 205 press conference after McGregor doesn’t show.
I’m disappointed in the country of Ireland right now that this is your representative….I don’t even have an opponent. Yo, when he comes, you give me a call.
Alvarez throws chair at McGregor
After Alvarez leaves McGregor comes to the stage in a white fur coat. He takes Alvarez’s belt. Alvarez emerges and takes it back and throws a chair at McGregor. McGregor tries to throw a chair at him, and gets restrained by White.
Here's the segment in full where Conor McGregor was very close to throwing a steel chair at Eddie Alvarez had it not been for Dana White. pic.twitter.com/ip5GbHTw5B
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) November 10, 2016
‘I’m a pimp’
McGregor talks about his white fur jacket.
I’m a pimp!…[This is] Gucci mink. This is what confidence looks like. This is what big Irish balls look like.
On his legacy:
I’ll be immortalised after this one.
After Alvarez asks for an apology;
Suck these big Irish balls!
On Alvarez:
He’s damaged goods.
UFC 205 Face Off
McGregor and Alvarez face off at the UFC pre-fight press conference.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BMpMXHqDgHy/
Post-fight press conference
McGregor and Alvarez will appear at a post-fight press conference live shortly.
