Former UFC 2-division champion Conor McGregor looked to reclaim the lightweight title from Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October of 2018.
Needless to say that he was unsuccessful in his attempt, succumbing to a tight neck-crank from Nurmagomedov in the 4th-round.
Since that fight, the Irishman has been calling for a rematch against Nurmagomedov and UFC president Dana White seems to be on board with that idea. He stated that if Nurmagomedov is able to get past Tony Ferguson, he would fight McGregor in a rematch next.
Many fans are and fighters are not happy with the potential of McGregor skipping the queue at lightweight and being give a title shot. However, Conor McGregor recently made his own case for a rematch in an interview with Jonathan Snowden of Bleacher Report:
“I will admit that the fight before UFC 246, I did not train properly and was not in perfect condition,” McGregor said. “Call it what you want. I am hungry today. Hungry like a man who has not eaten for weeks. … When I set my mind to something, there is nothing I can not accomplish. It is that power of belief that makes up the winners.
“I will simply say I was not fully prepared,” McGregor added. “It proves that anything can happen in the fight game. You can trust that I will not make the same mistakes next time. I came out well, and in an instant, things changed. It’s as simple as that.”
McGregor also touched on his next potential opponent, implying that he is only interested in matchups that would excite him:
“What the fans, and frankly the fighters, don’t want is a dull fight or a dull lead up to a fight,” McGregor said. “I enjoy every aspect, and the fans deserve to see and hear the real me. I am very passionate and eager to please the fans and win for them and my family. I am willing to fight anyone and have proved that time and time again. I look for a good scrap, and if it isn’t going to be that, I have no interest.
” … The money is not why I do this. I am a very rich man, and my children and those that come after them will be just fine,” McGregor added. “I love the fight game. I learned many things boxing in Crumlin where I grew up, and my deep love is why I do this today. I will be in the Octagon again soon and fully expect to box again. You will need to stay tuned, but trust me—the fans will enjoy. Giving them what they want and entertaining them is important to me.”
Justin Gaethje has been calling for a fight against McGregor for some time now, accusing the Irishman of “ducking” him.
Gaethje recently went as far as to say that he would “punch Dana White in the nose” if McGregor was given an immediate title shot. His manager, Ali Abdelaziz has also stated that he would be willing to set up a rematch between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor, if he fought and won against Justin Gaethje in a No. 1 contender fight.
McGregor’s coach Owen Roddy recently hinted that Gaethje, might indeed be McGregor’s next opponent in a showdown later this summer.
This article first appeared on CLOSEDGUARDMEDIA.com on 18th March, 2020.
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