Conor McGregor: I Have MMA, Boxing & Wrestling All Wrapped Up
Although Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz’s first matchup at March’s UFC 196 nearly broke the UFC’s all-time pay-per-view (PPV) record, it seems as if the anticipation for their rematch in the main event of this weekend’s (Sat., August 20, 2016) UFC 202 from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, just isn’t quite as fervent.
That could be because Diaz so thoroughly throttled McGregor in the first fight, or it could be because the card comes on the heels at a seemingly never-ending stretch of UFC cards. But true to form, McGregor isn’t giving an inkling of thought to the theory that his star power has diminished since his fateful loss to Diaz, and perhaps it hasn’t
The Irish superstar met with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour this week to discuss how things have changed a bit since his first UFC loss. This time around, he believes that the crowd may be more hostile towards him than it has been in recent bouts:
“Usually it’s been home for me in this place, with traveling fans. I’m estimating I’m going into a war zone here. That’s what I’m estimating, that’s what I’ve been preparing for, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
McGregor discussed a desire to fight in front of his homeland fans in Ireland, something that has been met with surprisingly backlash from the entrenched and outdated powers that be on the Emerald Isle. ‘The Notorious’ believes his opportunity to fight in Ireland will arise again, so for now, he’s simply thankful for the massive support they have given and will give this weekend:
“So I know my countrymen will be supporting me wherever they are, and I know there will be many here in town, and I know there will be even more back home in Ireland and all over the world supporting me. So, I am content with that for now.”
As for UFC 202 itself, McGregor was quick to refute reports that tickets sales had been a bit lackluster for the event by stating his belief that records will be broken once again. After a highly-publicized online feud with a large portion of the WWE roster that followed his ridiculous ‘feud’ with boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. earlier this year, McGregor suggested he rules all facets of combat sports:
“The ticket sales have been great for it, for a such a big arena at this time of year, the end of summer with everything going on,” McGregor said. “I’m very happy with it. We’re talking record breaking again. You know that. You know the pay-per-view buys will be smashed. I’ve dominated the headlines it seems. I have every game wrapped up. I have the boxing game, I have the wrestling game. I have this game wrapped up for years now. What else can I do?
“This will break all records and I’m very happy with it.”
