Conor McGregor is as big a presence in pop culture as he is in the world of MMA, if not more so. If you look through his media clippings online, you'll see just as many photos of him on the red carpet as you do in the Octagon.
It's the result of a lot of hard work, McGregor told TNT Sports. But he said people shouldn't think that way because he does a lot of things outside of combat and is coming out of it.
Just against it.
“Look at Mike Tyson right now, he's fighting Jake Paul,” McGregor said. “He also fought Roy Jones. So, you know, it's an older guy. What really stuck out to me was when he was fighting Roy Jones Jr. [that Mike Tyson] Roy Jones was also old and had been retired for a long time, but he was asked, “Why?” Recalibrate your competitors.
“There's a reason why Jiu-Jitsu tournaments have things like veteran divisions. That's why you never think it's over until you completely roll over and call it a day. Put it in a box and go underground – that's it. So what really struck me about Mike Tyson was an interview around the time of the Roy Jones Jr. fight where he asked, “What do you think about his mentor and coach, Cus D'Amato?'' -I was asked what D'Amato would think. Years later, I'll say to you, “Why are you coming back now?'' Tyson's words really resonated with me. Kass would say to me, “What took you so long?'' he said.
“And it was really shocking. It's like people are crushed by the pressures and uncertainties of life, you'd see a lot of people struggling after games, the recent one with Dustin. Even in the game [Poirier] and [Alexander] Volkanovski, many fighters…even Georges St-Pierre at the beginning of his retirement. It's like a weight, something on them that allows them to take them out of the game quickly. ”
From the perspective of many outsiders, McGregor's actions outside the cage did nothing to dispel the idea that fighting is no longer, and never will be, his priority. The logical question is whether constant troubles with law enforcement and a series of successful business ventures will allow him to return to the form that has allowed him to win titles in two divisions and become the UFC's biggest star. Questions have arisen.
Many think they know the answer to what happens next in “The Notorious.” He assures them that's not the case.
“I know that [pressure of life] “Whatever it is, that feeling and that thing exists,” he continued. “But I also know that I need to rest, recover and recalibrate. I'm not going to be 40-odd years old and look at some 19-year-old wonder, no matter where I'm from. I Look at all my potential opponents. Literally, I have a group of opponents that have history – trilogies, secondary battles, and even new battles. even.
“They're all around the same age as me. So if these people are around the same age as me and I have the audience interest, which I do, these fights. Who's to say it won't happen anytime? You know what I'm saying? That's to the grave, man. I'm going to my mother's grave.”
In the near future, he said, that's for the rest of 2024, and a confirmed UFC booking is closer than many think. McGregor said fans will likely see him fight sooner or later, whether it's at UFC 303 as reported, or at two dates before the end of the year.
“I have a few more games left on my contract,” he said. “I hope this can happen again this year. It's still the first quarter of 2024, so there's a lot of time. I'm sure of that and negotiations are ongoing. After that I'd like to be in the UFC. So let’s see what happens.”
