AHEAD of his UFC 202 revenge match with Nate Diaz Conor McGregor held a media day in Las Vegas to chat about his upcoming clash – and the ebullient Irishman had plenty to say.
During a busy media day he took aim at WWE stars John Cena and Ric Flair, re-issued his challenge to Floyd Mayweather and likened his upcoming opponent Diaz to Homer Simpson.
It showed that McGregor, who some said had been a little subdued in recent interviews, was right back on form ahead of his bout next weekend.
Check out the best of his quotes from the media day below.
Conor on… Losing to Nate Diaz
“It’s part of the game. The highs are high and the lows are very, very low.
“This is the game we’re in. No one makes it out of this game unscathed, all you have to do is look at the history books.
“I made my plans for revenge and that’s it.”
Conor on… Demanding the rematch at 170lbs again
“He’s (Diaz) a welterweight now, he’s about 200-pounds. I couldn’t have made it at any weight other than the weight I lost at.
“I was controlling the contest, I was slapping the head off of him. I wanted to keep it as is, I wanted no changes and I got it.
“I have reasons why I performed that way, but tune in August 20th and you’ll see the real me.
“He was like Homer Simpson in that fight, he just kept taking shots until I couldn’t hit him anymore.
“I feel strong in my mind. I don’t feel defeat. True champions rise again and I’m a true champion. I look forward to rising again on August 20th.
“He’s got weight, he’s got endurance and I need to go in there and put him away. I am laser focused and I have to go put him away.”
Conor on… Fight camp changes
“Usually at the end of camp I’m banged up, (this time) I’m absolutely perfect.
“This time of the last camp I was in a bad way, the opponent change, I was banged up.
“This time, I’m fresh, I’m underweight and I know he’s about 200-pounds.
“It’s been a phenomenal camp and I look forward to showcasing what I’ve been doing in the gym.”
Conor on… Having a full fight camp
“I’m interested to see what the boy (Diaz) has done with a full camp. Let’s see what his full camp has done.
“I believe I am the better fighter by a long stretch. He is tough, durable and big, that’s it.
“He’s spoke a big game about it, so let’s see.”
Conor on… The lack of trash talk so far
“This trash talk thing, I feel like I’m talking the truth every time.
“I’m going to go out there and slap that big, heavy bag with eyeballs around the ring.”
Conor on… Needing to beat Diaz
“I shine under those lights and I will do it again on August 20th.”
Conor on… Dana White saying he’ll fight Jose Aldo in his next fight
“I read that, we’ll see. There’s a lot to still happen yet. I’m going to go in there, to face this man (Diaz), do what I know I can do and put him away and then we’ll see.
“They’re (the rest of the division) praying I don’t come back. Tell me one time I didn’t make weight. I made championship weight when I didn’t have to.
“I am the featherweight world champion. The guy I KO’d in seconds is the interim, I am leaps and bounds ahead of that division.”
Conor on… The prospect of fighting in New York later this year
“Right now we’re in Sin City, the desert and I’ve got business to handle here.”
Conor on… His UFC contract
“The contract is sweet as pie. I believe I’m a strong reason why this company was sold for $4 billion.
“This contract is sweet, the next one will be better.”
Conor on… The Olympic Games
“There are some amazing athletes in Rio right now and I look forward to having my Olympics August 20th.”
Conor on… Ric Flair’s recent comments
“Ric Flair is a legend. As far as talking about gimmicks this (MMA) is the real thing here.
“These WWE guys are messed up in the head, the new guys are dweebs.
“The main guy, John Cena, he’s 40-years-old walking around in a bright orange t-shirt and a headband complaining that no one can see him. He’s a failed Olympian. This is the real thing over here.
“No disrespect to the dons. Vinnie Mac is a legend. What he’s been able to do with these dweebs is amazing.”
Conor on… Fighting Floyd Mayweather
“Right now I have Floyd running around the Showtime offices gathering my money.
“As soon as he has my money, we can fight.
“If you want to fight me we can fight. If you need a safety net of rules, we can do that as long as you have my money. I don’t need no rules to protect me. That’s my thoughts on all that.
“Why dominate in one world when you can dominate two?”
Conor on… Beating Cristiano Ronaldo on the Forbes rich list
“This is a $4 billion company and luckily I’m the head of operations. I’ll see him up there next year.”
Latest MMA stories
Leave a comment