Conor McGregor will fight Donald Cerrone in two weeks. The pair will headline UFC 246 in Las Vegas. ‘The Notorious’ is the biggest star in the sport, but his last win came all the way back in 2016. Meanwhile, in 2017 he lost to Khabib Nurmagamedov. It’s been a dark time for the Irishman.
But since announcing his comeback he’s had a media blackout. This suggests renewed focus from the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion. He’s one of the most controversial athletes in the world today so he’s trying to clean up his image.
Despite the fact that Cerrone is a big threat, McGregor isn’t afraid to look past ‘Cowboy.’ He still wants that rematch with Khabib but he thinks the Russian is running scared.
Trembling
Despite the fact that Khabib got a convincing win over him, McGregor still thinks that the Russian champion is afraid of him. This is the man who wrestled with a bear cub as a baby. We’re certain he’s terrified alright. Realistically, ‘The Notorious’ is just trying to create an appetite for a rematch.
“(Khabib) is trembling,” McGregor told TheMacLife.com. “That man is trembling. He doesn’t want it. He doesn’t want it. You get it. He’s trying not to lose it again … I just smell s**t. That’s all it is. He’s afraid, and that’s it. Everyone wants it. The boss wants it – Dana wants it. We all want it. He can run, but he cannot hide. I look forward to it.”
Disrespect
The Irishman has attempted to justify why he performed so badly on the night. He insists that it wasn’t because Khabib outclassed him. Rather it was because he hadn’t put in enough work to prepare for battle. That’s what he thinks cost him in the end. Realistically it’s probably a combination of both factors.
That (loss) was after a horrendous camp where I was so disrespectful to the people that believe in me,” McGregor said. “I was disrespectful to my team with my lack of commitment, and I still went out and done that.
“Then, I also landed a blow on his blood brother and his cousin, so we’re happy with it. It’ll come back to him. Like I said, he can run but he can’t hide … No, no, no: It’s far from over.”
Delusional?
Most sane people will believe that McGregor is delusional. The lasting impression of the fight is of Khabib driving down on a helpless McGregor in the second round. The Irishman was probably lucky the fight wasn’t stopped then. Sure, he won the third round but only because Khabib took his foot off the gas.
“In my mind, I won Round 1,” McGregor said. “I outstruck him 3-1. OK, he had position on that mat – but I outstruck him 3-1. What did he do in the first round? Second round, look at the lackadaisical approach I had to him. He was just running around the outside of the cage. He got that lucky shot and had a great second round. What happened after that? I was winning the third round, and even in the opening exchanges in the fourth round. I was winning the fourth round up until that trip.”
In short, he’s trying to stoke the flames. But it will take a convincing couple of wins to persuade diehard fans that he’s worthy of a rematch.
