Mixed Martial Arts-McGregor promotes fight, whiskey at raucous press conference

By Rory Carroll

 

Sep 20, 2018; New York, NY, USA; Conor McGregor holds up a bottle of whiskey during a press conference for UFC 229 at Radio City Music Hall. Mandatory Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports

 

(Reuters) - Conor McGregor sipped whiskey and boasted he would need just one round to defeat Khabib Nurmagomedov and reclaim the UFC lightweight title during a typically wild news conference to promote his return to the octagon on Thursday.

 

McGregor repeatedly referenced the infamous April incident when he threw a metal dolly through the window of a bus carrying Nurmagomedov and other UFC fighters, leading to his arrest and eventual guilty plea.

 

The 30-year-old Irishman told reporters in New York that he was glad that he had been unable to coax the Russian off the bus that day.

 

"I just thank the lord Jesus Christ that man did not ... step foot off that bus," McGregor said, pointing to Nurmagomedov.

 

"Because if that bus door would have opened, this man would be dead right now," he added.

 

"He would be in a box and I would be in a cell."

 

The dolly incident came after McGregor was stripped of his UFC lightweight title because he declined to defend it and chose instead to fight a lucrative boxing match against Floyd Mayweather, which he lost.

 

McGregor, who owns a 21-3 record in UFC and is a former champion at featherweight and lightweight, predicted his first fight in the octagon in two years would be a short.

 

"I believe one," McGregor said when asked how many rounds it would take to dispatch Nurmagomedov, who he called a "rat".

 

"He's got a glass jaw," he said.

 

The undefeated Russian was the calmer of the two during the press conference, never raising his voice or getting out of his chair as McGregor tore into him and his family between plugs for his whiskey.

 

"This is my third fight in the last nine months. I'm 26-0, I've never lost a round," said Nurmagomedov, who is also 30.

 

"I don't know what this guy is talking about. I don't understand what he's going to do," said Nurmagomedov, who defeated Al Iaquinta by unanimous decision in April to claim the title.

 

"He thinks whiskey is going to help him?" asked the devout Sunni Muslim, who declined McGregor's offer of a glass of the spirit. "I don't understand."

 

The fight will be held Oct. 6 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

 

(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-09-21

I really like Conor but believe what he did here was showing he is losing it. Liqour courage is a weak man's friend.

double post

Edited September 21, 20187 yr by lovelomsak

2 minutes ago, lovelomsak said:

I really like Conor but believe what he did here was showing he is losing it. Liqour courage is a weak man's friend.

Agreed, keyboards and booze.  But McGregor is an amazing athletic prodigy.

 

2 minutes ago, HLover said:

Agreed, keyboards and booze.  But McGregor is an amazing athletic prodigy.

 

I would say an extremely poor example of a human being's evolution into one with animalistic, sadistic tendencies.

19 minutes ago, Esso49 said:

I would say an extremely poor example of a human being's evolution into one with animalistic, sadistic tendencies.

Two professional sport success at a world class level, extremely poor is a unique perspective.

So, who are your current sports hero's?

Go home McGregor, you're drunk again.

1 minute ago, underlordcthulhu said:

Go home McGregor, you're drunk again.

Backwards ©*nt, as he called the Muzzie.

49 minutes ago, HLover said:

Two professional sport success at a world class level, extremely poor is a unique perspective.

So, who are your current sports hero's?

None that are involved in any pugilistic form of stoneage entertainment.

personally I prefer the UFC for watching fighting sports, boxing turned into so much BS years ago.

8 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

personally I prefer the UFC for watching fighting sports, boxing turned into so much BS years ago.

UFC has it's appeal but I prefer watching the better conditioned and harder training athletes of boxing.

2 hours ago, lovelomsak said:

I really like Conor but believe what he did here was showing he is losing it. Liqour courage is a weak man's friend.

Maybe not "losing it"... but finding his persona as a Stage Irishman.

When I was young I was told in a fight always keep your head up. I love the way Conor keeps his head so high he leads with his chin. and no one can capilalise on that

Mere marketing of his own brand of whiskey. 

Mcgregor has already been charged for bringing the sport into disrepute for his drunken actions to a coach transporting other UFC fighters . This interview made me cringe . He has gone from an entertaining , box office hit , exciting fighter to a blabber mouth who is past his sell by date .  He will be soundly beaten by Nurmagomedov and probably announce his retirement as he no longer needs to fight with his new found wealth .