Finish the Fight trailer
EA Sports releases Finish The Fight, a trailer for UFC 2. The ad shows McGregor, Rousey and Tyson counting down the time of their fastest knockouts.
UFC 196: Diaz defeats McGregor
McGregor is defeated by Diaz in the second round. After bloodying Diaz in the first round, McGregor tires the second round. Following a combination from McGregor, Diaz lands a jab and straight left that visibly rocks McGregor. McGregor makes his way toward the center of the cage and is caught with another jab and straight left from Diaz. McGregor tries to takedown Diaz, but is caught in a guillotine. As McGregor rolls to escape, Diaz mounts him, punches him till he turns, then submits him with a rear-naked choke.
UFC 196: Octagon interview
Diaz and McGregor are interviewed directly after the fight. Diaz:
I’m not surprised…I know it was gonna be a slow start for me…He had some good punches, and he landed them, so good on him…I’m an athlete, a warrior, we should all be ready to fight, even on our worst days.
McGregor:
I took the chance going at 170. I felt I took him in the first round…but I was inefficient with my energy. I’m humble in victory and in defeat…I took a chance, came up weight, it didn’t work out. I’ll face it like a man, like a champion, and come back and do it again.
UFC 196: Backstage interview
McGregor is interviewed backstage, after the fight, by Fox Sports.
It stings real bad..I’ve been on the end of many defeats in my life and I rose back. I will not shy away from it. I will not make excuses for it. I will assess it and come back…I misinterpreted his efficiency. I blew out and he did not. He went into autopilot, while I panicked a little bit.
On Jose Aldo:
I’ve seen the Jose thing. He can celebrate through another man’s victory, but at the day when we faced he was unconscious. That’s not the sign of a true champion…When I defeated him I showed him respect. Maybe I’ll go back down and shut him up one more time.
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.
Budweiser Dream Big ad
McGregor appears in an ad for Budweiser Ireland’s Dream Big campaign.
Never give up on your dream, Be your own inspiration. A beacon of self-belief. Keep proving others wrong. If your dream doesn’t scare you, it’s not big enough, So dream as big as you dare.
Budweiser Dream Big follow-up ad
McGregor appears in a companion ad for the Budweiser Dream Big campaign, a contest to win $50,000 to win an ‘American Dream”.
America is a great place. There are many great people. It’s so diverse, so whatever you are interested in you’d best believe you can find a lot of that over in America. To have people look up to me and take inspiration from what I’m doing, that’s something I take great, great pride in. You can go and do it too.
Cancels xXx appearance
McGregor reportedly cancels an appearance on xXx: The Return of Xander Cage, alongside Vin Diesel.
As I mentioned on @SportsCenter, I'm told McGregor has canceled his planned appearance in Vin Diesel's XXX film. Doesn't want distraction.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) March 19, 2016
Ad banned from Irish TV
McGregor’s Dream Big Budweiser ad is banned by RTE after the station says it promotes underage drinking. Current advertising guidelines prohibit brands from using ‘heroes of the young’ to market alcohol. Budweiser:
Conor is an aspirational figure for people who wish to follow their dreams and ambitions. Based on independent statistics research, Conor McGregor has an overwhelming adult appeal.
RTE:
RTE believes it took the correct and prudent course of action in not approving the commercials for broadcast on its television services.
Claims McGregor is avoiding Edgar
Abdelaziz, Edgar’s Manager, says that McGregor is avoiding Edgar.
When history speaks for itself, Frankie Edgar will go down as the guy who fought anyone at any weight, any time, and anywhere. But when history speaks for @thenotoriousmma he was a ufc champion who hand picked his opponents and chose a guys out of shape to fight him and he ducked frankie. Every media member I talked to, a majority of the fans wants to see Edgar vs Mcgregor but Conor’s coaches since he lost to Nate Diaz for every interview they talk about everyone else except for frankie. At this point im blaming the @ufcfor not making this fight happen because I think it’s really up to them and they can make Conor fight frankie. Im done with this. It’s been a miserable last 4 months talking and negotiating getting this fight to happen but now I realize the only person who needs to step up and say he wants to fight frankie is Conor. But I don’t believe he wants to because he and everyone else knows that frankie would whoop his ass. I have 0 respect for a champion who ducks contenders and that’s that
Credits McGregor for UFC chance
Justino credits McGregor for being able to fight in a UFC weight classes, which had a maximum weight of 135. Justino fights at 145, but will drop to 1450 for her upcoming fight against Leslie Smith.
I think [Conor] McGregor opened the door for this. He’s fighting at different weights. He [sold] a lot of pay-per-views and it opened the opportunity. I think the UFC sees the great opportunity and it’s a great time…I’m really happy for the opportunity and I’ll do my best in Curitiba and of course I’ll try for the KO and I’ll do my best…I think it will open the door for me for more fights at 140. Maybe I can fight Miesha [Tate] at 140 and Holly Holm and maybe Ronda [Rousey] when she gets off the pillow.
Silva wants to fight McGregor
Silva says he wants to fight McGregor:
That’s a challenge I would like to do. I’ve never asked to fight anybody, but I would like to test my martial arts skills against Conor McGregor. I would like that and a rematch with Nick Diaz and Michael Bisping. I think McGregor is a great striker, but he didn’t do very well in his last fight because he played into Nate Diaz’s game and that’s really hard. The Diaz brothers have a lot of gas. You have to respect him, the loss to Diaz doesn’t diminish his career at all. These are the fighters I would like to fight. McGregor, Diaz and Bisping because that fight did not end nicely.
UFC 200: McGregor vs Diaz rematch announced
The rematch between McGregor and Diaz is set for July 9, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will take place at 170 pounds, 25 pounds above McGregor’s usual 145-pound fighting weight. Frankie Edgar will fight Jose Aldo for the interim featherweight title.
White: McGregor ‘obsessed’ with rematch
UFC president White says he talked to McGregor after his defeat by Diaz.
After the fight, Lorenzo (Fertitta) and I went up to Conor’s house that he was renting here in Las Vegas and started talking about what are you thinking, what’s next and he was obsessed — obsessed with fighting Nate Diaz again. Obviously, Lorenzo and I tried to argue with him and say ‘let’s go back down to 145 an defend your title’ or if you really want the Diaz fight that bad, do it at 155. He wants the fight at 170. Even his coach, coach (John) Kavanagh tried to get him off this rematch and off the 170 pound fight, but it’s what he wanted…[Nate said] ‘He wants to do it again, let’s do it again’. Nate was obviously up for the fight.
Edgar: McGregor won’t return to featherweight
Edgar says that, due to his non-response to his social media posts and interviews, McGregor is not going to return to featherweight.
He didn’t respond to anything. He’s so quick with his tongue and he didn’t respond to anything I was putting out there talking about the fight so I did feel that he was going to stay up and try to get that rematch with Nate.
However, he says he is happy about his match-up with Jose Aldo for interim featherweight:
I heard speculation that’s what they might want, but nothing concrete and then Dana called me yesterday and asked me. My reaction, I said yes. What the (expletive) am I going to do?…Let’s just call it the No. 1 contender belt cause that’s what it really is. But I’ll play the game. They did it for Conor, they gave him a belt and if I’ve got to play the whole Conor game to make sure I get this fight, I’m OK with it…The title is definitely what I want. If he never comes back down, I end up becoming champion, I’m a two weight class champion — something he’s trying to do. Maybe I’ll just have to chase him up to 170 to make that fight, to make that payday. Especially if I have the belt he never defended, why not? We can defend it at 155 or 170 if it makes him feel better, but honestly the focus needs to be on Aldo so I’m not too worried about Conor right now.
Aldo: McGregor will be shamed
Aldo says he expected McGregor to return to featherweight and fight him, and surprised when the UFC offered him an interim title fight at UFC 200 against Frankie Edgar instead.
You know as an athlete obviously it’s good because I get to fight, but as a fan it sucks. There’s not much I can say but it really doesn’t have any logic behind it. To me it makes no sense really. Because everyone thought he was going to come back and defend his title and now he’s fighting Nate again. It’s a fight that doesn’t get anyone, anywhere. It doesn’t get Conor anywhere. It doesn’t get Nate anywhere. So it really makes no sense, I don’t know what’s going on…I don’t think there’s any way for [the outcome] to be different. We saw what happened last time. Maybe the only difference is that Nate is going to be even better prepared and Conor’s shame is going to be even greater…He needs to come back to featherweight. There’s no way he can just hold onto that belt for a long time.
Diaz sick of McGregor rematch praise
Diaz says he is annoyed by the praise UFC and others are giving McGregor for the rematch.
Completely irritated. I’ve lost decisions that I didn’t really lose and if I asked to get a rematch, it was out of the question like ‘Are you kidding me, don’t even ask.’ But this guy is getting praised for wanting a rematch. It’s like get the f–k out of here, this is the fight game. Whoever has lost a fight in the UFC and hasn’t wanted to fight that guy the next day shouldn’t be in the sport. All of a sudden he’s getting praised for losing and wanting a rematch? Get the f–k out of here, I’m sick of hearing it…Have you heard any praise out of Dana White or the UFC for me winning the fight at all? Nothing. At this point it’s not even about me and (McGregor). It’s me versus the whole f–king organization.
Also says that he brought the value of the purse up.
Do you think he would have made 1.5 million pay-per-views with Rafael dos Anjos? No, he would have made 700,000, maybe 900,000 but I got a following too.
Palhares: ‘I would kill Conor McGregor’
Appearing in the UK for the upcoming Polaris Pro 3 event, Palhares says he would consider a return to the UFC to take on McGregor.
I am happy to be here and even happier that all my British fans are supporting me whilst I’m here…I know I have an image as a bad boy in the ring but that is not the person that I am underneath. If people got to really know me they would see what I am really like. I have made some mistakes in the past and during fights but I am a good person…I would consider returning to the UFC just to fight McGregor. I would kill him. He is too small and weak in Jiu Jitsu to beat me. It would be a privilege to fight him but I would dominate with my ground game and submit him easily. When I play the fight In my head I see him giving in from a foot hold. He is too small to beat me. He shouldn’t be in my division but a fight is a fight.
Claims McGregor ‘full of juice’
Aldo claims McGregor was using banned substances prior to his fight at March 5.
The fight was not at featherweight. Why would I rematch him in a different weight class with no belt? Now, to make this fight at 155, where he was full of juice in his body, where he hides and nobody tests him, only when he gets to Las Vegas, a week before the fight, and then it’s way easier for you to clean the body and fight. They offered the fight knowing that I wasn’t trained at all. I can’t say anything. I can train, beat Frankie Edgar and then know that I’ve earned my fight for the title again.
On trying to get a rematch:
We called and texted him every day (asking for the rematch) and nothing. There was no talk for a month…They already had in mind who to put against Conor. That’s the path they try to follow, and it’s kind of dirty to me. There’s no negotiation. We ask, and not always we get a response. When they respond is like that, and then they say they love us. It’s a bit weird. But what can I do?”
He thinks Diaz will win.
He’s used to this weight. It’s really hard to move up in weight and continue winning. It’s going to be different now that Nate will be more prepared. He can do his thing, anything he wants, from start to end.
Sister: Conor helps me conquer my fears
McGregor’s sister, Erin, says that her brother inspires her.
I wear my heart on my sleeve – what you see is what you get – pretty much like actually like my brother. He’s an ordinary fella who had a dream in his hand and went for it. All it takes is determination, passion and talent…He literally rolls with all adversities…he gives me inspiration to do things for me and to not listen to the negative thoughts coming into my head. He helps me to conquer my own fears.