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23 Dec, 2016

White: McGregor is the definition of ‘pound-for-pound’ fighter

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White says McGregor is underrated as a pound-for-pound fighter.

Conor is a very talented fighter, he’s very, very good. Every time he goes out there, he looks better. And when you talk about the pound-for-pound, they don’t have Conor McGregor as the pound-for-pound. The media does the ratings. When you talk about what the pound-for-pound really means, how is it not Conor McGregor? The guy was the ’45-pound champion, ’55-pound champion, and beat a guy at 170. That’s what pound-for-pound really means.

22 Dec, 2016

Mir: McGregor ‘wouldn’t last even a round’ with Nurmagomedov

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Mir, a former two-time UFC heavyweight champion, says that the Russian MMA market is different to the USA, to McGregor’s benefit.

In the US a lot of people are more interested in the story behind what’s going on rather than what the fight is. I just think they watch the fight to see the result at the end. It’s an afterthought more than it is a primary drive, whereas you go to other places, especially like Russia where fighting is actually a passion not necessarily just ‘who-hates-who’. That’s why Conor McGregor does so well. He’s a good fighter but let’s face it: if Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and him face off, I wouldn’t bet on Conor to last even past a round. But he makes more money than Khabib because he has such a great mouth…Khabib has stayed true to his character, he’s a softly-spoken guy and I think he does all his talking with his fists and he’s not getting title shots and he’s not getting talked about in the US media as much. A guy who is 24-0, amongst the fighters we know he’s probably the best guy really in the world at lightweight. I don’t think anybody questions his ability to destroy guys and how powerful he is. But ESPN isn’t knocking his door down to give him interviews and he’s not doing commercials, Conor is…Conor’s making millions of dollars fighting and so I think Khabib now sees that and realizes he needs to start talking more. And here, he goes out and destroys Michael Johnson in his last fight [and] made him look like he shouldn’t even be in the top ten.

White: McGregor-Mayweather fight will ‘never happen’

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White says McGregor and Mayweather will not fight.

Well there’s a lot of talk going on about this now. But let’s look at it this way. If they really fought, it would be ugly. It would be ugly for Floyd. Conor has more weapons and tools than Floyd Mayweather does…If they were to box, look at Manny Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather. It was a fight that everyone wanted to see for years.  It took almost 10 years to make that fight and they are the same sport.  There’s no way this fight would ever happen.

Won’t answer UFC’s calls for less than $20 million

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Diaz says the UFC hasn’t called him about any upcoming fights.

I’m only fighting at lightweight for a big fight or 20 million just to take the call. Until then, I’m just living my life.

21 Dec, 2016

Woodley: McGregor almost ‘brought out the Ferguson in me’

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Woodley says McGregor’s backstage confrontation with him at UFC 205 brought out memories of his hometown of Ferguson.

When he got in my face and I looked at him I said, ‘what’s up?’ At that moment he realized I ain’t that dude. I’m really about that life. I’m really from that life. My family is from that life. I’m actually one of the sharper tools in the box that haven’t been in the streets like that but I have family members, close loved ones, that that’s all they know. So I’ve been around that a lot and I try not to take myself back to those dark areas, I try to stay sophisticated, stay professional but a few people can take you out of that element and bring that Ferguson back out of you and he almost did it.

And urges McGregor to bring it on:

if Conor want it he can get it. He knows how to get in touch with Dana [White], he knows how to get the contract set, and he really don’t want to fight. I’m not saying he should want to fight because I’m not a little dude. I ain’t Nate Diaz. Nate Diaz is not a welterweight. He did not do well at welterweight because he was undersized and these dudes are real gorillas in this weight class…When you come up to this weight brother, it’s real power, it’s real people that will put real hands on you, that’ll put you down to the canvas and you will not get up unless I let you up.

Tyron Woodley The Champ Life ep. 1

Aldo expects interim lightweight title fight, wants McGregor rematch

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Despite being current featherweight champion, Aldo says he expects his next fight to be for the interim lightweight after Max Holloway refused to fight him at UFC 208.

No, the Brooklyn fight is not happening. I now expect and believe I will be fighting in early March. Either March 3 or March 4, I can’t remember. I believe they will soon announce an interim lightweight title fight with me. They’ve been trying to find me an opponent, and surprise, surprise at least one has already turned down the fight against me. I’m waiting to see who they will find.

He says he will go after McGregor in the lightweight division.

I’m flexible about my opponent. I even said, ‘Why don’t I go up in weight class and fight the No. 1 or No. 2 contender and start setting up a rematch with McGregor?’ There was some enthusiasm for that idea, but my understanding is, some fighters turned down that fight.

Aldo: McGregor is ‘two faced’, ‘a clown’

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In an interview with Helwani, Aldo talks about McGregor’s claim to be the real featherweight champ.

First of all, I never stopped being the champion. When I lost to Conor, he should have rematched me right away. Like I’ve always said and done, the champion is the guy who defends the belt against all challengers. Guys who run from title defenses are not champions. All Conor did was he beat the champion. But he never did what he had to do to become the champion. He’s never been the champion of the featherweight division…He’s two-faced. He says a lot of stuff to the press, but behind-the-scenes, he turns down fights left and right. He picks opponents, he picks events. He’s not willing to face challengers the way a champion should be ready to face challengers. That’s not a true champion. He spent a year without defending the belt, so his math doesn’t add up when he says, I was the champion for less than 12 months. He wasn’t the champion at all. He never defended the belt. He wanted to stall an entire division. That’s not being a champion. I’ve never seen Conor as the featherweight champion. He’s not the champion now. I’ve never stopped being the featherweight champion. I went to bed one night believing the UFC was going to announce my rematch with Conor McGregor and I woke up to read the news that they booked Eddie Alvarez instead. My conversations with the UFC were, ‘It’s happening. We’re booking it.’ And then literally overnight something changed without my participation. The bottom line is, Conor doesn’t want to fight me. There’s nothing else I can do. I don’t think there’s anything else the UFC can do. If he keeps saying no and keeps running away, he’s going to keep running away. He’s a clown.

Danis challenges Jones to grappling bout

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Appearing to test a move into MMA from jiu-jitsu, Danis calls out Jones pure grappling skills.

He wants to step into my realm, but he doesn’t understand. I would play with him. My jiu-jitsu is a different level. Let’s be honest, Dan [Henderson] is about 45-years old and has two submissions out of 47 fights, but [Jones’ performance] was OK, I guess…He’ll need to beg me. I don’t show up for just anybody.

20 Dec, 2016

Holm: McGregor’s self-belief drives success

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Holm says McGregor’s success comes from his self belief.

I think he’s great… a lot of people are like ‘well, he’s never gone the distance’ or ‘well, he’s never been with a wrestler’, or ‘well, he’s never been with this person who hits this hard’. He’s been put in some bad spots and we’ve seen his vulnerabilities but I think that you have to have ability to be able to actually succeed in a lot of these things. It is mostly mental, if you believe in yourself you’re going to perform well. He does believe in himself, he does believe that he’s capable and that is one of the biggest parts to his game – but, if he didn’t have any skill to back it up he wouldn’t be just making it off his mouth.

Holly Holm Talks Losing, Ronda, and UFC 208 with Rosenberg!

Kavanagh responds to Mayweather’s caption contest

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Coach Kavanagh responds to Mayweather’s McGregor’s photo caption contest.

I think it would be more interesting if he came up with a date or contract for a fight. That would be more interesting.

Coach Kavangh reacts to Mayweather's "Caption This" Video

19 Dec, 2016

Stolen McGregor painting spotted on a bus

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The artist says he received a message on from someone who said they recalled seeing someone on a bus with what looked like the stolen McGregor painting. The man was “implying he had just bought it” and allegedly “showed the painting to the whole upper deck”.

Healy-Rae: McGregor deserves SOTY award

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Healy-Rae, the Independent TD (MP) for Kerry South, says McGregor “truly deserves” the award of Sportsperson of the Year.

Looking at Conor’s background, a young man who was on the dole that worked every day and night putting in endless hours to reach where he is today. He is one of the best athletes that we have in Ireland and he should be acknowledged by us here in Ireland for that. He has overcome all the doubters that said he couldn’t do it, some people in Ireland thought he was a flash in the pan but again proved everyone wrong. He truly does deserve Sportsperson of the year. I have seen over the weekend a lot of negative comments on Social Media about Conor winning this award but instead of people trying to put down Conor McGregor we should be extremely proud of what he has achieved on the world stage, he has done more than any other Irish fighter ever has on the world stage and I am glad to see that acknowledge by RTÉ. I have no doubt that Conor McGregor will go on to break further records in 2017 and I hope that we get to see him fight in Croke Park in the coming year.

Holloway responds to McGregor ‘destroyed’ comment

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In response to McGregor’s comment, at RTE’s Sportsperson of the Year awards, that he destroyed his opponents

I’m still the two-weight world champion. Make no mistake about that. They can say what they want. They can try to get phoney belts and hand them out to people that I’ve already destroyed.

Holloway says:

18 Dec, 2016

McGregor: ‘I don’t know what the UFC’s plan is’

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McGregor says he is weighing up his options regarding his dealings with UFC. His only contact with the organization has been through the news he’s received through the media saying he’s been stripped of his featherweight title.

I’m weighing up my options. Again, I expect that conversation, I expect them to fly that jet to me. Ari (Emanuel), Patrick (Whitesell), the new owners from WME-IMG, the guys that bought the UFC for $4 billion, I want to speak to them…I want to see what their plan is cause right now I don’t know what anybody’s plan is. All I know is they’re trying to type onto a keyboard and say we’re taking this belt and we’re taking that belt, we’re doing this, we’re doing that — you ain’t doing nothing without contacting me first. I’m ready for anything. I did say I was going to take a break but a Christmas break, the holidays. At least give me the holidays off. We’ll see what happens in the future.

17 Dec, 2016

May fight before baby is born

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McGregor says he may fight before his baby is born.

As far as I break, I don’t know. I know Dana has been on record, he’s saying ‘10 months, he’s taking 10 months’, I don’t know. Originally I thought the baby was being born in March and then it was May so maybe I could get in another [contest]. I just don’t know. I’m weighing up my options.

16 Dec, 2016

Mayweather to Diaz: I’ll ‘put the finishing touches’ on McGregor

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In a telephone call, Mayweather tells Diaz that he has the support of “The Money Team” and offer to “put something on his trunks” before talking about McGregor. Diaz:

I thought I won that second fight too. He’s trying to hide from me now.

Mayweather:

Hey, Nate, tell me what I gotta do. Do I gotta? That boy is … aw, man. I see what you did to him, now. I’m gonna put the finishing touches on him.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SPEAKS TO NATE DIAZ ABOUT CONOR MCGREGOR; SAYS HE'LL "PUT FINISHING TOUCHES ON HIM"

Diesel: McGregor left xXx to ‘get his manhood back’

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Diesel says that he wanted McGregor for xXx: The return of Xander Cage, based on his “English” accent. McGregor left the project to concentrate on his rematch with Nate Diaz.

I wanted to have an English accent in the movie. I had created a role for Conor McGregor and after he lost to Nate Diaz, he had to go to a dark place, he had to go get his manhood back to fight the second time, so he wasn’t able to do this film at the time…I wanted this English accent to be speckled in the movie. But I also wanted someone that could do fight sequences. A lot of the UFC guys do great fight sequences in movies. You saw when I put Gina Carano in 6, and Ronda Rousey in 7. I had great experiences when putting UFC fighters in the movie, so I wanted someone that had that English accent, they talk like this, and I got Michael Bisping to come and do that.

Sends Christmas message to sick fan

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Johnson sends a Christmas message to Tommy Hanley, an Irish boy who has Stage 4 cancer.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BODN0hPDVAD/

Talks about Drake’s streaming success

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Carter comments on Drake’s One Dance feat. WizKid and Kyla passing one billion streams on Spotify, during the eight months since it was released.

It’s a phenomenal record, that’s where it starts. It’s just one of those rare records that translates throughout the world. Drake’s always been great at really capturing hip-hop and pop sensibilities, but to be able to do that globally with a record like this is just amazing…Hit records make us look really smart. [Laughs] I think Drake made a monster of a record and people responded, and I think our guys within Spotify are just getting better and better at how to put music out in front of more and more people and when it all comes together it works.

15 Dec, 2016

Triple H open to talks with Rousey, McGregor

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Speaking as the WWE launches their United Kingdom Championship Tournament, Triple H, in his role as WWE executive vice president of talent, live events and creative, says Rousey could appear in the company in the future.

Never say never with us. Ronda’s done things with us in the past. She’s a huge fan. She had a blast when she did it. I wouldn’t be surprised at all if, as she begins to wrap up her UFC career, as she’s looking to do other things, if we’re a part of that conversation for her.

On a possible McGregor role in WWE:

[McGregor’s] very calculated in the things he says and does. He doesn’t mention us because it just came out. He has made his point. I have made my point when I have been asked about it. He is a business man. I am a businessman. If the time is right for us to sit at the table, if there is an opportunity that we have or he wants to have, then we’ll discuss it. For them and for us, then who knows, you know? We’ll see. We’re wide open