Sings with Cork footballers
McGregor bumps into the Cork senior footballers on return from training in Portugal. McGregor chants ‘Up The Dubs’ which was met with ‘Up The Rebels’ from the Munster men.
Faber wants McGregor fight
In response to a comment by Faber’s teammate, Cody Garbrandt, that Faber could envisage the 36-year-old walking away from the sport in the event of a bantamweight title-victory over Dominick Cruz, Faber says that instead he wants to go out by fighting McGregor.
I’m not sure you are interpreting that right from Cody or not. I mean I know that he did say it would be a picture-perfect way for me to go out, but what I would like to do is beat Cruz and then fight Conor at 145[lbs]…You never know in this sport. I actually like Conor. You know, we got into it on the show, about he wanted to fight me and I wanted to fight him in Ireland. Then Dana said ‘you guys will never fight’. Then Dana called me and said ‘you know what, I told you that you would never fight but this is your opportunity. We want to give this to you’ blah, blah, blah. And I said ‘let’s do it’. But then I got a call from Dana saying that Conor wanted to fight Nate. So is it foreseeable? For sure.
Coach: Diaz will stop McGregor inside two rounds
Diaz’s boxing coach Richard Perez says that Diaz will beat McGregor.
I believe that Nate is going to tap him out or knock him out. I mean because once he gets him to the ground McGregor doesn’t stand a chance. I mean standing up either. Sure he goes out kicking and trying to be fast but Nate already knows what he can do and he’s going to be in better shape and a lot sharper. So yea, I think Nate will stop him inside two.
‘I have decided to retire young’
McGregor posts to Twitter that he has decided to retire young.
I have decided to retire young.
Thanks for the cheese.
Catch ya's later.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 19, 2016
McGregor pulled from UFC 200
UFC President White says that McGregor has been pulled from UFC 200 because he had refused to fly to Las Vegas to help promote the event. He says UFC is working on scheduling another fight for Diaz, and will add another bout to UFC 200.
What’s happened is we pulled Conor McGregor from UFC 200 and we’re working on other fights right now. Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial or be a part of any of the marketing we have. He’s in Iceland training and that’s not possible… Is Conor McGregor retiring? Only he can answer that question…Obviously we still have, as far as I’m concerned, a good relationship with Conor. I respect Conor as a fighter and I like him as a person, but you can’t decide to not show up to these things. You have to do it.
Father confirms retirement
McGregor’s father confirms his son’s retirement, but says that his son had not told him directly.
The last word we heard is he’s retired. That’s the latest word. The news broke to us at the same time as everyone else. We have spoken but we can’t disclose anything. He’s in Iceland. Go and talk to him.
White: If McGregor calls ‘they could figure out’ UFC 200
UFC President White says McGregor’s management asked to move the media promotions to May but that wasn’t an option. At that time, White said it was “weird”. He also says McGregor needs to clear up his status soon because if he remains retired Aldo v Edgar will be for the featherweight title. White adds that if McGregor called him today to clear the air they could figure it out UFC 200.
I’m not mad at Conor. Conor made a decision and a choice to not fight on this card. That’s on him, man…Conor delivers. But he wasn’t planning on delivering this weekend, and I had to pull him. It’s what had to be done.
Former trainer posts video
McGregor’s former manager posts a video of him training with Nelson in Iceland.
White: McGregor will fight again
In an interview on The Jim Rome Show, White talks about McGregor’s retirement announcement.
We’d been going back and forth over this whole press conference and commercial thing. He’s young, he’s emotional, and I believe that’s what that was. Do I believe he’s retiring? I don’t. But if he is, I wish him well. Conor McGregor will fight again I believe. He’s a young guy, he’s a proud guy, he’s very opinionated. I think yesterday his tweet was out of frustration and not the true desire to retire…You can’t not show up to promote your fight. Especially it’s UFC 200. We’re spending like 10 million dollars in commercials and advertising and everything else, and he’s the main event, and he’s not going to be a part of it? It doesn’t work that way.
White also says reports of McGregor wanting $10 million to fight at UFC 200 are false:
That is a flat out disgusting lie. It’s a lie. Conor McGregor has never agreed to fight then come back and ask for more money. He’s never done that. He’s not like that…I’m not mad at Conor McGregor at all. I have no ill-will towards him whatsoever. Listen, he’s a big boy he made a decision not to fight at two hundred he knows what that means to him. Listen, I got three months to go and a lot of people who want to fight on it.
‘I AM NOT RETIRED’
McGregor releases a statement:
I am just trying to do my job and fight here. I am paid to fight. I am not yet paid to promote. I have become lost in the game of promotion and forgot about the art of fighting. There comes a time when you need to stop handing out flyers and get back to the damn shop. 50 world tours, 200 press conferences, 1 million interviews, 2 million photo shoots, and at the end of it all I’m left looking down the barrel of a lens, staring defeat in the face, thinking of nothing but my incorrect fight preparation. And the many distractions that led to this. Nothing else was going through my mind. It is time to go back and live the life that got me this life. Sitting in a car on the way to some dump in Conneticut or somewhere, to speak to Tim and Suzie on the nobody gives a f-ck morning show did not get me this life. Talking to some lady that deep down doesn’t give a f-ck about what I’m doing, but just wants some sound bites so she can maybe get her little tight ass a nice raise, and I’m cool with that too, I’ve been giving you all raises. But I need to focus on me now.
I’m coming for my revenge here. I flew an entire team to Portugal and to Iceland to make my adjustments in preparation and fix my errors I made with the weight and the cardio prep.
With the right adjustments and the right focus, I will finish what I started in that last fight. I will not do this if I am back on the road handing out flyers again. I will always play the game and play it better than anybody, but just for this one, where I am coming off a loss, I asked for some leeway where I can just train and focus. I did not shut down all media requests. I simply wanted a slight adjustment. But it was denied.There had been 10 million dollars allocated for the promotion of this event is what they told me. So as a gesture of good will, I went and not only saved that 10 million dollars in promotion money, I then went and tripled it for them. And all with one tweet. Keep that 10 mill to promote the other bums that need it. My shows are good. I must isolate myself now. I am facing a taller, longer and heavier man. I need to prepare correctly this time. I can not dance for you this time. It is time for the other monkeys to dance. I’ve danced us all the way here. Nate’s little mush head looks good up on that stage these days. Stuff him in front of the camera for it. He came in with no shit to do that last one. I’d already done press conferences, interviews and shot the ads before RDA pulled out. Maybe I’ll hit Cabo this time and skull some shots pre-fight with no obligation.
I’m doing what I need for me now. It is time to be selfish with my training again. It is the only way.I feel the $400million I have generated for the company in my last three events, all inside 8 months, is enough to get me this slight leeway. I am still ready to go for UFC 200. I will offer, like I already did, to fly to New York for the big press conference that was scheduled, and then I will go back into training. With no distractions. If this is not enough or they feel I have not deserved to sit this promotion run out this one time, well then I don’t know what to say. For the record also – For USADA and for the UFC and my contract stipulations – I AM NOT RETIRED.
UFC offered to recreate gym in US
0 CommentsTMZ reports that McGregor will miss out on a $10million (£7m) purse for the bout, and that UFC offered to fly McGregor from Iceland to the US, as well as to all the locations for a media tour, by private jet. McGRegor was also told that his gym would be flown with him and set up exactly as it is in Iceland, so that it would be ready for training as soon as he landed. Part of McGregor’s reasoning for not travelling to the US was that he had set up a tailor-made training camp in Europe.
UFC 200 press conference
White introduces the fighters for UFC 200. McGregor is not present. Diaz:
I didn’t ask for that fight, but he asked for it. And if that ain’t gonna happen, I’m going on Vacation…He’s got a lot of catching up to do, so there ain’t no time for this [media] shit. I’ve dodging all this for years, so it’s all good. Let him do his thing, get his training on, and let him fight.
White:
Listen, I just don’t see how that’s fair. These people have come from all over the world. The fights still three months away, that’s why we do it so early so we try not to interfere with their lives. People want Conor to fight, so do the fans, so do the media, everybody..You think I don’t want Conor to fight? Of course I do. It’s not right, you can’t not show up for this stuff. [Reporter: So you’re ruling him out at this point?]. Yeah!
‘Not everyone up there made the company 400million’
McGregor tweets about the UFC 200 press conference.
Everyone flew in. Respect.
But not everyone up there made the company 400million in 8 months.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 22, 2016
MacDonald tweets McGregor support
MacDonald tweets his support for McGregor.
my opinion @TheNotoriousMMA did the right thing, us fighters could learn a thing or 2 bout knowing r worth. also we should support eachother
— Rory MacDonald (@rory_macdonald) April 23, 2016
Pundit Arena interview
Pundit Arena interviews McGregor in Iceland.
I’m feeling good buddy, I’m feeling good. I’m over here, I’m training hard and we’ll see how things go. I’m enjoying retired life for now. I’ve been sick of the cameras a long time. Yet here you two are!
McGregor, Nelson spar
Video is released of McGregor sparring with Nelson at Mjölnir MMA in Iceland.
Buys presents for girlfriend over FaceTime
Devlin says that, while training in Iceland, McGregor had a member of staff trying on presents for her, while on FaceTime.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BEg9I0to-tE/
Back on UFC 200
McGregor tweets that he is back on UFC 200.
Happy to announce that I am BACK on UFC 200!
Shout out to @danawhite and @lorenzofertitta on getting this one done for the fans. #Respect— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 25, 2016
White: No deal with McGregor
White tells the Los Angeles Times in a text message that a deal for McGregor’s return is not true.
We haven’t talked [to] Conor or his manager since the press conference. I don’t know why he would tweet that.
Kavanagh defends McGregor
Kavanagh says he did not know McGregor had announced he was back on UFC 200, until he saw McGregor’s tweet.
We left Iceland very early this morning and we ended up getting separated, going different ways. I turned my phone on. I was with Gunni and Paddy Holohan and thing’s started going crazy, I saw this message. I didn’t know about this and neither did his manager, so it was news to both of us when we saw it. I haven’t spoken to Conor since….I presume I’m going to see Conor at training and find out the exact news, but that’s how I heard about it…Things seem to be coming down to… I guess ego isn’t the right word, but at some stage you’ve got to see that it’s pointless. It upset so many fans that wanted to see this fight and ignore the kind of numbers that it brought in over a press conference where it tends to be more or less the same questions asked every time. It’s not the same for Conor to have to travel half way across the world when others only have to go down the road.