Conor McGregor and UFC Octagon Girl Carly Baker in Dublin as part of Setanta Sports’ announcement yesterday. Credit: Sportsfile
IRELAND’S GREAT UFC hope Conor McGregor is training hard ahead of his upcoming fight but got a taste of ‘the good life’ during a recent trip to Las Vegas.
The Dublin featherweight is three weeks out from his second UFC bout, having annouced himself on the world stage by taking out Marcus Brimage 67 seconds into his debut back in April.
This month, McGregor and his coach John Kavanagh travelled to Sin City for some training at Zuffa headquarters and were paid a surprise visit by UFC president Dana White, who flew up from Los Angeles especially to see them.
“Me and John were in the Zuffa HQ meeting with Sean Shelby (the UFC matchmaker) and he hands me a phone. (The person on the other end of the line says:) “Listen here you crazy Irish bad ass, how’s Vegas treating you?”
“I was thinking ‘What’s going on here?’. He said he was bummed that he couldn’t see me as he was in LA. But when I told him I was there until Friday he said he would come up. As it happened, it was my 25th birthday on the Sunday.”
McGregor, who takes on Hawaiian Max Holloway in Boston on August 17, was brought out for a steak dinner before the pair went for a spin on the Las Vegas trip in White’s Ferrari (watch video here).
Such an occasion might make an upcoming fighter believe they have ‘made it’ in the big time. McGregor, however, is keeping grounded and insists the surreal experience has made him even hungrier for success.
When things like this happen some people might think they’ve become part of the organisation,” he says. “That’s not me. I don’t get comfortable just because I’m on personal terms with the boss. I don’t plan on getting lazy.
“If anything that trip spurred me on more to show me what I can really achieve here.”
The UFC president has certainly taken a shine to his new Irish fighter ever since McGregor picked up ‘Knockout of the Night’ on his debut. In an industry which lacks larger-than-life characters, White can see that his recent addition has the ability to excite fans – both inside and outside the Octagon.
“I’m honoured,” McGregor says when asked about their friendship. “It doesn’t make me complacent though, it motivates me. I’m going to prove that I’m here for the long run. For the big shows and the big money.”
He is also keen to return to Vegas: “I definitely want to headline shows there. Seeing Mandalay Bay and the MGM and all these big arenas, and then going out with the boss was unbelievable.
“I was eating clean and training but I want to go back to party. I’ll probably go back after Boston. It’s a serious spot.”
McGregor in UFC president Dana White's Ferrari. Credit: Twitter
Hugely ambitious and eager to reach the top, the Dubliner has been calling for big name fights despite being a relative newcomer to the UFC. He will have to rack up a couple more wins before getting anywhere near a title shot, however.
"Dana said: 'I would love nothing more than for you to get that belt tomorrow', but he was telling me that he doesn't want to rush me.
I want that title and I’m ready for the big fights. I can sit here and say this all day long but only the contest can prove this. People are saying this guy is good and that he’ll cause problems but I’m the big problem."
All going according to plan, McGregor believes he will bring the UFC back to Ireland for the first time since 2009, when an event was held at Dublin's O2 Arena. Although it didn't come up in conversation with White, he claims it could return as soon as next April.
"We didn’t specifically talk about a Dublin event but honestly I would be very surprised if they haven’t had an event here by April of next year with all the buzz around. I’m really looking forward to that - to fight in my home town.
"I’m fighting Boston in three weeks and that’s as close to Ireland as you’re going to get. I’ve got a lot of hungry young team-mates who are right behind me. They’re looking for their big break. To give them a show and get those guys on an event is what I want."
UFC 163 will be live and exclusive on Setanta Sports this weekend and UFC fighter Conor ‘The Notorious’ McGregor was in Dublin today ahead of the event which takes place in the HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro in the early hours of Sunday, 4th August 2013. Subscribe now for €19.99 per month either online or by calling our subscriber line on: 0818 20 30 40. From August 1st, Setanta Sports customers will be able to receive BT Sport 1, BT Sport 2 and the ESPN channel as part of the Setanta Sports Pack. This game changing deal means that Irish UFC fans will be able to watch over 30 live events per year, as well additional UFC programming such the Ultimate Fighter and Inside the Octagon.
I think the GK is not fully confident and that can have a huge affect on the defenders. The young lad at RB last night looks a tidy player.
@Nollaig Elliot: he’s going to be a great player I think, he’s prone to being caught out too easy as well though. Still if they continue scoring more goals than the opposition we can’t give out too much..
@Nollaig Elliot: agree
@Paul Mallon: agreed nollaigh. The keeper and lovren badly need to be replaced. No sign of a keeper coming but hopefully they get hoewdes at least, if not VVD. Great going forward though, the season will be an absolute rollercoaster
@Paul Mallon: if LFC are taking any player from Southampton, it should be Fraser Forster. Dominates his six yard box, and bosses his defenders.
Mignolet is a good shot stopper period, any crosses coming into the box are however an absolute lottery (as shown again last night the one time he came off his line to try lunch one clear).
Defence absolutely starts from the Keeper out, in rugby terms defensively he’s the number eight at the back of a scrum i.e. anchors the scrum so it doesn’t get loose and can be disrupted by oppo, looks for any danger on oppo possession and smashes it, launches quick attack when his team wins possesion.
@Nollaig Elliot: true but you get the impression Klopp will be too stubborn to go beyond Mignolet and Karius
@j lad: Not sure if its stubborness. I reckon the CL playoff had a lot to do with it also. Players could be holding out to see if they qualified. With VVD his hands were tied. The player wanted the move but Southampton weren’t budging. Like Ronan said above, Forester should be the main target.
Get Howedes and Van DIJK
@Ollie Watson: Howedes not the answer.not reliable and if he was good enough he’d have got his big move before 29 years old
@j lad: you don’t know what you are talking about. Höwedes is a class act on and off the pitch, a World Cup winner who played every minute of every game. An outstanding leader and role model who turned down the big bucks of Bayern and Arsenal a couple of years ago to stay with his home town club so as he could “give something back”. He’d be a great signing for Liverpool and Kloop knows him well.
@Bob Cummings: Howedes can’t make Schalke team.
@John Buckley: only fit after a a few months out with injury. It seems the new coach will invest in youth, Goretzka to go as well.
I’m struggling to understand Klopps logic. Played Milner at LB all last season, drops 10m on Robertson to put him on the bench in favor of the guy who is clearly a liability! TAA is a decent rb and will do well but watching the keystone cops on his left can’t be inspiring for him. The right seems ok but the left is clearly a problem. Need a center half in and Robertson to get a run of games. Once Coutinho and Lalanna come back midfield will be sorted and the top 3 look awesome….
At this stage Klavan is a better option than Lovern. Klopp can’t start Lovern against Arsenal.
@raymond flynn: klavan has always been the better option but the fact we didnt pay 20m for him meant he gets little enough fair play , 1 poor game and he is benched again whereas lovern gets chance after chance
@Michael Coghlan: Klavan is the worst of them. Brian Kerr said that when he managed the Faroe Islands, they targeted Klavan as he was so bad. Gomez is a centre half or Conor Masterson – may be 18 but Klopp is constantly singing his praises.
@John Buckley: https://www.google.ie/amp/s/www.balls.ie/amp/football/ragnar-klavan-343603
@Dan: heard Kerr say it on RTE, didn’t realise he said it on Today fm as well. I have good time for Kerr so disappointing to see him get it so wrong, very funny though. Klavan still a terrible centre half.
@John Buckley: fair enough , I never said Kagan was great but he isn’t as bad as Kerr made out and is definitely better than lovern
Klopp said something after the match last night that gave off the impression a few players were lined up to join pending qualification for the group stages.even though us fans prob hope for 5 in we’ll prob end up with 1 or 2
@j lad: id take 1 or 2 in a heartbeat at this stage of the window.
@j lad: didn’t give any impressions only that CL is important when trying to sign a player or extend a player’s contract or keep a player which I feel it was more directed at without mentioning Coutinho
@The Chameleon: ‘Klopp reveals transfer boost’
http://www.skysports.com/share/11002599 i think he mean’t potential signings aswell as a dig at players holding back on signing new contracts
@Max Power: 1 or 2 only good enough if it’s a combination of centre backs,keeper,holding midfielder
@j lad: must be true if sky are saying it
Lovren : cant tackle, cant head, cant mark, not physical, no pace, a wimp, and gets a 5year contract !
@Mrs. Nugent: deadly isn’t it !