Conor McGregor’s recent time in the news has been in connection with his wild demands for part ownership in the UFC. Take a short trip down memory lane and reminisce about the time he was humbled in Las Vegas…
After losing to Floyd Mayweather in the biggest payday/squash match of his career, Conor McGregor again entered the MMA conversation. The stakes for ‘red panty night’ had a few lead runners, but nothing was set in stone.
Even with Tony Ferguson holding the interim title, there was no certainty as to when, where and even if McGregor would defend his lightweight belt. It soon became apparent that his previous demands hadn’t been met, making the situation more complicated.
After claiming the spot of pay-per-view king in the UFC, ‘The Notorious’ is angling for a promoter’s share in the company. According to Tony Ferguson, it’s ‘defend or vacate,’ but if you ask Dana White it’s ‘defend or be stripped.’
Just 22 Months Ago
Although it seems like an age past, it was just under two years ago that Conor McGregor fought Nate Diaz at UFC 196. The story of how that fight came to be and how it turned out is the stuff of MMA lore.
Shocking McGregor and the world, a straight-off-the yacht, stinking of tequila Diaz made McGregor tap out in Sin City. For those thinking it was just Diaz and his fans saying McGregor chickened out, think again.
Here’s a GIF of McGregor’s candid locker room reaction to the first Diaz fight, with subtitles:
“I don’t know, I was hitting… I was slipping and banging that left hand. A load of times, he came short as well. One stage, I caught him with a clean uppercut and he just was always there in me face. Pus**ed out, I did. Pus**ed out.”
It’s crazy how different and honest fighters can be after such brutal losses in the public eye. There’s no doubt McGregor is the biggest draw in MMA right now by a long way, but he is still human like the rest of the roster.
Read Dana White’s deadline for McGregor to return, or be stripped of his second undefended UFC title:
March…
“I don’t think he wants to fight until August, but if he waits until August or September, that’s around two years since the belt has been defended and that can’t happen,” said White.”
“As long as Conor is willing to fight by March, we could do Khabib versus Tony and then the winner fights Conor for the title,” said White. “Or, if Conor wants to sit out until next fall, then we’d have to make Khabib versus Tony for the title, not the interim title.”
“I’ve never been afraid to pay Conor McGregor money,” said White. “Conor brings money in. We’ve laid out a really nice offer for him and he’s a smart kid, I think we’ll figure it out.”
