Exclusive: Conor McGregor Full Interview

finally got a double good no you're very welcome how does it feel to be a TV a place that you've said yourself that you hope when do you see returns you'll actually like them to host an event here yeah it feels it feels right it feels like it's meant to be and I have a have a clearer picture of like a football step filling out a football stadium bring the UFC back here and doing this and then the Commandant step on that pitch I'm feeling you know I got goose bumps you know I got that feeling that this is within reach now so I'm just going to keep going keep keep hitting the gym keep training hard keep putting on performances that will ensure they come back here and do this football stadium I believe that demand is there I believe it will happen so tell us about your journey through martial arts can you believe the small kid who just wanted to defend himself as turned out to be a phenomenal world-class mixed martial artist yeah I can't I can't believe because I did believe and I put in the work to make it happen well you know I was just a normal kid growing up and fights would happen every boy gets into fights I was never bullied you know it was just fights would happen as a kid yeah growing up out on the street playing football or whatever fights would happen but for me it stuck in my head maybe if I happened another boy would have just left and it would have forgot completely about it but for me I dwelled on it what way should I am moved there he done this what maybe if I had done that I would I would have turned out better you know that those type of things occupied my mind so I just be going to build in my mind that this is where I wanted to become really good at this I want to be able to defend myself in any situation any movement any scenario so I went from gym to gym kickboxing boxing grappling wrestling just trying to ultimately trying to learn different ways the body could move to attack and to defend and then if we can't be obviously becomes an obsession and before you know it you're headlining in football stadiums just like that so you mentioned there yet you moved around from gym to gym so how did you end up with John Calvin at SPG and yeah I moved around from gym to gym you know every gym I went here I was always they had a set way every gym had a set way of doing things don't do it this way they were that way so that was just a normal thing that I thought I thought just people just have their own set way and you must do it that way you must stand this way you must kick this way you must punch this way but with John when I went to John I met Michael John cabinet a straight black stream it wasn't like that he had a more open mind and he encouraged different movements and I'd never experienced that before I've never heard a coach say that to me before and I stuck my head in I thought to myself you know this guy is thinking outside the box you know I mean that he has a vision that everything works on a knee he encourages every movement because ultimately there is a time and a place for every single move so I just had I just near one when I met John and I when he spoke it made complete sense to me and that was the I stuck with him and he stuck with me and the rest is history and was it meeting John and training at SPG is that what it shifted from learning martial arts to seeking perfection in human movement wonder-percent as well as when I start thinking of a career in it so I never cared I don't care still I really don't care about sport I got any forestry you know I mean I was thinking about the street I want to better defend myself in any situation but when I met John and in the UFC start hearing about the UFC then I think you know what there's a career maybe I can make something out of this what else am I going to do I don't really want to do anything else I don't want to get a job I don't have to get up and I don't wanna listen to a boss or do all that you know so this is an option for me so I stuck with it and John encouraged John believed that maybe John believed in me and made me believe in myself that we could go and do this but before us there was no other Irishman there was no the u.s. as far as the EOC were concerned Ireland didn't exist so it was still just a dream for us you know I mean but definitely when I when I met John and when I start trying straight back to him I start realizing I can I can make a career out of this I I can do something that hasn't been done before I can show the Irish people true martial arts something they have never seen before so that's what we are in the process of doing and very quickly in your career you built up a solid reputation by your 434 fights you were headlining local shows when you stepped away for two years and what made you step away more importantly what made you come back and you know you're a young kid you're just fronting in and out I was going out on my friends I was you know you're not a million percent focus when you're a kid you're off and doing other stuff you know so I was just a normal kid I lost one and then I went I said you know what I don't want to do this anymore and drifted off but then you know but even though I was out I wasn't competing I was still always in my head that I was going to do it I still always had in my head that I will get to the UFC I will I will make it even though I wasn't actually pursuing it what the vision was still in my head and then I just came back and carried on again no because sometimes I'd ripped off sometimes you drift back and forth and that was it but then anytime I drift off John would always reeling me back in and and and I'm reinforced the dream and I mean let it say you know we can do it let's let's do it this is what you need to do you need to show up here we need to put in more hours and everybody needs to be every single second of your life it cannot be no outside and then that's what happened so we're talking 2008 2009 when even you weren't even you know fully committed to mixed martial arts you were still dreaming of being the UFC fighter yeah champion yeah I think so yeah and it's well documented that your mother reached out to John Kevin that was a huge ya heart year coming back it was a really brave decision for an Irish man me to send her son mmm off to an MMA gym I mean it was that because she was so concerned about the party were going down well because she recognized her talent did you work yeah I think was more concerned about the path I was going down and she recognized at anytime I was in the gym I was happy you know whatever's going on in my life good or bad I go to the gym I exercise and that for me is exercises the best form of medication I always felt happy after a walk ever after training and she obviously saw that's when I was stopped training I was hanging around the wrong people or whatever you know I wasn't as happy as I would be so she wasn't in her head of what she obviously wasn't thinking sending them into an MMA fight she just wanted me back in the gym I'm back training I'm back doing what I love you know I mean I'm healthy of course a healthy lifestyle one thing about martial arts people can say it's damn people can say this fight game is dangerous and it's brutal but my mind is strong on I'm fit in body and mind and that's something that not a lot of other careers can give can give to a person so my mother I love my mother dearly I love it a bit you know she reached out to John and John as well came up and it was just it was a perfect storm was all a perfect storm here to get me back and seeing the way me my retail and got John up and then John came up and seeing these people that are putting that time into me and putting their faith in me that made me thinking oh I'm going to deal with am proud I'm gonna do it and proud I said to John that night I said I'm gonna put an extra floor on that Jim you know I mean I'm right now I'm securing my family's future here I don't want my family I want me mind that they retire and live comfortable now you know I mean that that's what I'm doing for my family security said I don't have to do absolutely nothing our answer to nobody right once you were back then you were back with a bang you started putting the win streak together and this is almost around the time then by 2009 you started narrating your own career you started asking for title shots and asking for things and this is when it kind of started happening and did you feel that okay the winds are great but now I actually start to I need to start making moves here I need titles I need to start getting on a serious road towards the UFC was there a conscious decision well no there wasn't a consciousness oh just I don't know I was just training and if I felt the belt was in reach I was asking for the belt and I was maybe as you grow you get a little bit more confident or a little bit more cocky whatever way you want to put it and I'll just be myself I'm a cocky little kid from from Dublin I'm just being myself I didn't I never set out to say if I say this it's gonna it's gonna mean this you know just carry on I say what what what feels right at the time so could this story have played out the way it did if you hadn't ended up at SPG with John cabinet or is John the secret sauce and all this yeah I think it was just meant to be I think I don't think I don't think someone would have kept me kept my attention as much as John what happened I mean but it kept me in the gym as much as John did so no I don't think would happen if I didn't if I didn't meet John it's it I'm grateful every day for that for that for that time and just everything I'm grateful for everything every situation even when I moved from chrome and Toluca when I was 17 that was another lifesaver for me as well because I moved away from everything well everyone else was getting caught up and stuff I go get away and I was up miles away and Luke and I was miles away to me when I was living in criminal enforcement Luke was like moving today stick sell to the country I was away from everyone I Niels was did you sit in a room on my own you remember I was with myself and my thoughts are law at that time and then anytime I go training because John's was in Rock Hill at that time I was just going to the gym and racquetball and then home to Luke and I had nothing else to do so it helped me all these little things that happened just shaped shaped II and I'm grateful for each and everything that has happened can you remember how you found out that you were signed to the UFC it was there a JFK moment that you never forget where you were when the UFC came calling yeah I don't yes he uh I can't remember yeah because we got some bad news about a teammate of mine that couldn't compete anymore so you know I was thinking oh [ __ ] this game I don't want to do this year anymore what am I going to do this and then something happens and I can't do it no more so I had packed it in again I packed it in again you know but it was only a couple of weeks I was like you know I'm not I didn't show up training I didn't show up to do classes right that's what I used to teach the box and every Tuesday I seven o'clock and John was away nice and at the time are away in America so my teaching teaching so I hadn't been in there in a couple of weeks and then the phone rang one night I was about to quell my friends and and I was like it was John and I didn't answer I wouldn't answer it I was like I want to get he's going to give up him because I haven't been teaching the classes haven't been showing up and then I rang and it rang and it rains like not forget not going back well just I'll figure something else to do and then I just answered it kept ringing so I answered a how do you feel about making a UFC debut in nine weeks and then I was there I put the phone down I went home and then I showed up at the gym the next day and put the walk in and that was that I just kept going you know what we're all on her own did we're all on our own path here everyone is on their own little Johnny whatever [ __ ] you know it and I this is this is my journey my teammate wasn't on a different journey so I just have to understand that so that was that and once you became a contractor GOC fighter did you think that's it I've made it or did you think right the work actually starts here yeah I definitely think uh you know I always knew I only need one chance I always felt I was better than everybody I always felt all I needed was to get in there once just give me one shot and I'll take a home I'll steal it every time and then that so when I got the call I knew I wasn't hanging around there was going to call her everyone in Division I was going to make my way up to the top as fastly as as fast as possible because I felt I was ready and I felt I was better than these people so put obviously the work always still you know there's always work to be done you know so if anything as opposed it definitely got me to the gym that bit more you know that net now now it's there now all these dreams that I've been having actually they're in front of me so I walk I walk towards it and you talk about work and the amount of training you do did you step it up once you got the call from the UFC did you train as you had been training or did you step it up I think we all stepped it up I think the whole gym stepped it up every single for the whole gym go to a next level when Sweden happened the level went through the roof because everyone saw one of us made it you know I mean the dream is real an Irish man has got a win inside the UFC they know we have a partner there's a path so everyone in the gym upped our game so we oh we continuously go better and better at the game changes things change now it's it's different you know but you must evolve with it meaning or you'll get left behind so our gym has evolved with the growth of it in army so everyone is up their games it's very competitive everyone is able to chase the dream and and it's a great time so some of your teammates felt the UFC was more accessible because you had got there mmm exactly and then and then they worked hard so I show up at the gym now I'm the UFC guy now they want to beat the UFC guy so they know and again it's nothing personal they need that they need to feel that they need to be able to take bigger win against me are going against someone else in UFC and then they I'm actually I can do this you know me and and that that's what I mind you know it's not a person we comment everyone's come in and trying to beat each other and it's competitive you know but it's perfect it's it's it's that's why the level has gone through the roof that's why we're getting so so good so fast iron sharpens iron is to say exactly and so your debut ufc's in sweden and a 67 second disruption of marcus Primack and you pretty much stole the show it's fair to say even though your fight was on the prelims it was the only premium fight that made it onto the the main character our cast and you obviously got the knockout bonus as well you can waitress 60 G's Dana 60 G's how did you feel when you were walking out of the the Ericsson Globe and Arena that nice yeah I felt it felt right again like I felt when I walked up there just felt right felt like it was meant to be I knew I was gonna do it I brought you know prelim guys don't get on a press conference either you know but I brought my suit I brought everything I prepared I knew all you need like I said give me one chance and I'm gonna take a home so uh they gave me one chance and I took a home when did you notice that the UFC were treating you a little bit different to other fighters with just one fight under their belt you seem to be getting a little bit more treatment better treatment than guys who had just literally debuted for the largest mixed martial arts promotion in the world I don't know but I mean I don't know cuz I can't compare it to anyone else cuz I don't know about what they've done for other people you know I just know what they're doing for me what I do know is that I feel that the point a lot of faith in me so again that drives me to walk in or me to prove to prove my wart to prove their faith to me is correct and that's what I'm doing right now I'm special is it to get the black eye treatment for the workout in Boston honestly I didn't know I got the blackout treatment until after all I knew was they told me to take a couple steps back into the arena and we're gonna film you walking out from here so I knew something was up I knew I did that they only feel him that walk for the champions and I mean that that truly arena walk so III didn't know anything about the black tights - I've never even heard of the black ear before this all happened so it didn't really mean jack and men didn't mean too much to me but again looking back on it it didn't mean too much to me in the moment cuz I didn't even know but looking back it was actually phenomenal like to see the walk she won't see over in America in the middle of America and as Irish flags everywhere and you're walking through the crowd as people in Irish rugby J's just people dressed as leprechauns all this [ __ ] but that was phenomenal that's something I can look back on forever and I mean so definitely it meant a lot to me when it was doing but at the time I had no clue yeah and your sacrifice in Boston was obvious against max Holloway another young up-and-coming prospect you took it to a decision one decision but midway through the second round you popped your HC a CL your MCL was strained and you had a posterior horror meniscal tear it's fair to say that in most of the sports the play would have been stopped and the stretcher would have been and you would have a car today was there ever a second in your mind where you were thinking I can't actually can't finish this no because you're prepared you're prepared for things to have anything can happen in this game there is no limitations on this there's no you know you must be prepared for injuries to happen and you I didn't even know the severity of I just thought I don't know I just felt my knee pop I'd never felt that before a Hort and I was unstable that was all in all I all I knew but stopping wasn't in my head I just took it to a place where I could control it and that's what I don't and how does a guy who's so focused on his career and so concerned with putting work in how does he cope of rehabilitation and time on the sideline um yeah was tough it's been a tough course but it was a tough nine months eight nine months you know it without six months really before I could start proper grappling so like that again exercises is the best form of medication for me you know so I was just trying to keep keep busy with any exercise I could do I was doing I was really focused on my rehabilitation what goes out in LA but I was on my own for the most part and it was it was tough but I just carried on again like when I left for a while at the spot where I was all floating around I still always had that belief in my head that I was going to get to the UFC and I still always had that belief that in my head that I was going to return and not only return return better than anybody has ever returned before many people have taught her ACL and turn to combi but not many people every tone better than they left and I returned better than I left I was trying I'm trying more shots enough then I true but before you know what so if anything they come back the same if not a little bit worse I came back trying shots that I've never tried before it was all a blessing in disguise there's something else in it this where this where it should be a yeah this place to be for combi not for football not for rugby this should be this should be for combi yes I'm Elsa it's top of the range this place guys it's a that new was it but they're a royal is it doesn't look the healthiest does it whose are they oh yeah I'm Shay Given dead maybe maybe stick me a pair of gloves or something what say on maybe what the belt good on the belt the gloves now this is brilliant I'm happy I came out here now and from the moment you signed with the UFC you made a point of saying that you were going to drag the UFC back to Ireland and it ended up being a phenomenal night obviously you beat Diego Brandao in your fight the four SBG fighters went undefeated and it was great night for Irish MMA the five Irish guys until defeat down the night were you aware that this was happening while you understand him I wash every fight on the card you have a screen and there they have a screen in the dressing room for us to watch so I could I could watch everything but before we left the arena party the main event people on the co-main they don't leave to later on in the day whereas paddy Houlihan they left earlier so we were waiting to get on the bus to go to the arena we were looking at paddy Houlihan on the front on a phone it was just phenomenal the whole event from start to finish everyone on the card done themselves justice between the back-and-forth fights to the comeback fights in army Carl's comeback you know everything was just perfect and then you have the crowd on top of it the crowd was unbelievable the whole war the whole fighting will know about the Irish crowd now and I mean it's set in stone that this is a great nation to come over and host the show you know I mean I set out to bring them back I set out to help my teammates gonna ultimately they they do that themselves I can't take credit for nothing like that these these my teammates put into our own work and followed their own path but as far as bringing it back in the whole spectrum it was all perfect what what I set out today and what I said I was going to do I said I was going to do it then I went down Tony but with that it's done I'm over it now I'm not going to stare at you stare at your past and you'll end up staying there it's okay to look back and admire it but you carry on I'm not I'm not in the business of staring staring back at it you know I mean I'm getting lost back there's people say you can people say a loss can make a break a fighter but trust me a win can also make a break a fire because they get comfortable with it with a win people can get comfortable with it with a win and and and slack off then slack off on the train and slack off on the diet they've won one they're winners now that's not me you know you sleep on a you sleep on a win and you'll wake up with a loss so I just carry on keep doing what I'm doing and that's why these turnaround is so good for me Vegas straight away the Fighting Irish head to the fighting capital it's it's perfect continue on this path the freight train straight to the top you mentioned there does now the whole world knows but the Irish fight fans and heard how good they are Dana White mentioned in the post fight press conference that he was getting texted by fighters from all over the world looking to get tell you one thing he wasn't getting texted from fighters look into flame me but the fighters were texting him saying next time does a card in Dublin mm stick me on it what sort of reaction did you get from I know you spoke to Lorenzo Fertitta after Dana but what type of reaction were you getting considering you were part of the you know the returns from here the fans are from Dana from everyone from fighters from you know Melissa it was a successful event it was one of the most successful events in UFC history it was the fast one of the fastest seller and it was the most one of the most watched the UFC fight pass platform that they have it's an online thing where you go on watch the fights it was the most viewed it was a success all around the whole event was phenomenal between the fighters the fans the production everything it just went to a tee so we celebrate after if after 5:00 I went to the four C's and sat down with Dana and sit down with Lorenzo posted a whiskey and celebrate success and then we discuss more business you know we carry on again you don't stay there you you go on and in Vegas again I met with Lorenzo I sat down we discuss small business and we carry on this is he I'm not stopping here trust me when I tell you this I'm only warming up you can get used to this face I'm just talking about the fight itself then it was pretty quick work in the end and how did you feel during the fight is the knee okay you know Brenda is a bit of a wild man did he catch you with anything you know how were you during the fight I felt I felt great I felt comfortable but walking out before I was bouncing around I just felt again I felt right I felt like I was put here to do this when I'm in there I feel calm I feel composed I knew he was beat before the fight I could see in his eyes the same way I see in Dustin's us the beaten man that broken man when I'm looking at them and then he he was beaten long before he stepped into that into that cage so I just went in and put him out put him out of his misery smells so moving on to your next fight at Dustin Poirier UFC 178 on September 27th in Las Vegas he's a very similar record he's 16 and 3 he's never been knocked out but yet you say that his weaknesses his chin and you're gonna you're gonna knock him out what why what have you seen or I'm all you gotta do is look past look at look back at his previous fights every time he fights he gets dropped to one knee he and I mean the chin can only take so many cracks before the terior rates he seems to me a fire that probably sparse a bit too much rather than learn you know I mean and I feel he's deteriorating if his skill level has stagnated it's remained the same if not if not dropped a little bit and his chin has gently got got less so I'm gonna go in and I'm gonna prove that I don't believe he's on my level I don't hit like these are the federal weights and so I'm gonna crack them and he's going to drop and that's he and you were recently in Las Vegas for the UFC 178 media day and you would've been sitting not too far away from Dustin did you talk to him backstage or what sort of vibes did you pick above him and I didn't I didn't speak to him you know we can't in the media team for in in Vegas was the first time he came face to face and he put his fist out like that and I went to his head to head he's been talking a lot I know I talked but he's also been talking he's been talking all [ __ ] on Twitter saying all this stupid [ __ ] but when I came face to face when I came man-to-man he backed down there wasn't a peep belleville so when you go face to face with a man and he barrels before you you don't advance on it you pat him on the head and carry on so that's what I don't and then the Jones DC had that whole fight that was crazy as well you know again till man to emotionally-charged man with a lot on the line a lot of money a lot at stake emotions ran high and a fight broke out this is the fight business these things happen but with me and Dustin I didn't feel the need to I felt like he was broken already he was timid so I just faced off and then left well what did you think when Jones and Cormier where we're going at it because you can see you quite clearly in the background having a good laugh of it darling and I think a lot of people when you squared off to brandy at the weigh-in in Dublin we thought that that might tip over the edge and well if it was no one there it would have you know there should be people there this is there's a lot of at stake it's an emotional game it remains such as people it's up to the staff to meet the UFC start I need to be there to separate to keep keep account but backstage we weren't nearly find he was pacing around with his flag and and I was pacing around my flag it was a weird it was weird yeah but he's oh he's alive when he's he's a wild kid from the favelas in Brazil from the slums in Brazil so you know I knew if the situation happened backstage I was going to be ready at all my septa beforehand if something breaks up I'm ready to go I'm gonna let him know some people think it's all for the cameras but it's not for the cameras we were going back we were going to fight backstage and that was that then when we got out was spilled out onto the weigh-in area then even after the weigh-ins he drew a bottle on my head I just slipped and I cracked off the thing was a full bottle would have it would have probably messed me up to be honest but this is it you know um this is the fight game we're here to fight I'm not here to make friends when I hate to shake hands we're not here at the polls we're here to fight just on that then you've if you can call it Dustin P head we've all heard a couple of choice words for some of the other featherweights in the division like club sponsors an old man he looks like man's moment agreed and MacLaren's are boring you don't even know who Eric caucus yeah is that again like I say part of the fight game or is it just you don't want to have friends in the featherweight division or you can yeah I have my friends am I'm plenty summate all the friends I want and I have my small circle of people that I listen till my small circle of friends I don't need any more friends I'm here to conduct business in there you know I mean again I believe all of those are facts I believe he has a P shaped head if you look at his head it's shaped like a pea it's a weird-looking head so they're fact as far as I'm concerned it's a fact Kubb does look a bit like hands moment if you look at hands moment and then look a club they look similar again these are facts Clay Guida is a boring fight that he lays on the holes and looks to stall and positions again these are facts if they're not facts then then show me then prove to me that they're not facts but it's not trash talk it's not promotion its fact if you ask me about someone have you asked me about their style or anything like that I'll give an honest opinion I'll give an honest answer some people can't handle it but that's not my business you visualize the title shot and you said it'll come before the end of the year and you've specifically targeted the 28th of December the end of the airshow for the UFC are you on track do you still see that and do you actually think it's going to happen yeah I believe I believe it's there it's it's in my hair but we will see what way it plays there there's a title fight the title fight is six weeks after my fight who knows one of them could slip on a banana peel one of them could fall and I mean and then they'll end up bring in the hands of marriage kid that brings it brings in all these numbers that sound more pay-per-views and both of them combined let's bring in that guy and then all of a sudden I'm in a title fight so there's one route the next route that that fight could happen six weeks out of my fight that could happen and then they schedule me for the title fight at the end of this Emperor's routes there for to happen but we'll see again - all the other [ __ ] it's about getting better nothing else matters except me showing up at the gym every single day I'm pointing in the walk to get better to get a better understanding of movement to get a better understanding of this game everything else means nothing even after your impressive victory in Dublin some of the US media outlets we're still writing things like your your more you're getting recognition more due to the hype then what's on your resume and how do you feel about that when it's almost like people don't believe the hype of Iran Conor McGregor how do you feel about that um again I don't really I don't I can't hear tired to hear from where am i I can't hear I don't I don't read no matter I have I have my split my set team my circle my girlfriend my coach my family my friends my teammates I listen to them I don't listen to nobody else I don't read nothing else as far as I'm concerned there's no such thing as an accomplished critic there everybody's a critic and I mean everybody has an opinion on a book there's no such thing as an accomplished critic so I don't pay attention to what people say you know good or bad it means nothing to me I listen to my circle and I carry on again nothing else matters except getting better showing up at the gym and improving I can't hear nothing else and you say that you don't listen to other people but certainly a lot of people listen to you because you come up with some jams like when you're asked about pressure you say the pressure creates diamonds when you're talking about fighters calling you out you say everyone wants it till they get it that's my personal favorite when you were talking about the Irish MMA you said we're not here to take part we're here to take over where do these come from do you put time into creating these now jams or did it just fall off there again you again as people say it's trash talk or it's building hyper it's promoting a fight but to me it's stating fact pressure creates diamonds that that's a fact in their in them caves and she doesn't the pressure is what creates the diamond ray so that's a fact and most utilize saying we're not here to take part we're here to take over I'm not here to take part I'm not here to shake a guy's hand I'll be the token Irish guy I'm ready to kill everyone in the division to obliterate everyone in my pot that's fact what you want everyone wants it until they get it that's fine oh Diego Brandao wanted to fight he was talking like he wanted to fight but when we came face to face when we came man-to-man he was a shell he was broken same thing with Kol milah talking all of this calling me on the post-fight and then he gets it and then it doesn't want that anymore same thing with Dustin he did he acted like he wanted it he was saying all this stuff throughout the Diego Brandao fight like he wanted a I think that's what happens he gets it now now here's your opportunity they were face to face in one man to man no walk and he's timid he backs down he's so these are not facts to me I'm staying a stating fact as far as I'm concerned they just have to be they just happen to be one line dinners that you could you could paint the paint on the side of a building which they have been doing have you seen that one that there's a picture of me and I'm like that is a king's crown I was like we're not here to take part way to take over that just happens to be that just happens to be but I'm just stating fact as far as I'm concerned and the factors and some of the media outlets think you're you're more about hype and but you you you've constantly said to the this interview that it's all about the work for you so in terms of the work you've put in and the work you know down the down the line how much better can Conor McGregor yeah um I'm only getting better I'm only scratching the surface I can we talking John Jones good I'm just sit under some silver good I'm only scratching the surface but I'm still better than everyone at em greatest of all time still 100 percent 100 percent I've set my I'm set I set my sights high you know I mean I have I'm taken over the game in every way shape and form and money is obviously you know a constant theme and if you've made no secret yourself that you're in it to make money mm-hmm and how much of a distraction is the money and the fashion and the award ceremony is how much of distraction is that type of stuff away from I'm training yeah if I'm right a minute I make the money this is prize fighting I'm going to get rich fast and then I'm in it to get help so but again like I said I need to forget about all I push it all to the side and focus on improvement and that will ultimately bring the money you know I saw only recently signed a new deal with with the UFC you know I'm one of the big dogs now I mean when I win the gold I'm top two on the roster I'm top two you paid on the roster enemy so people can say whatever they want about what way I've gone about things but the way I've gone about way has worked and I'm in the business of securing my own future my family's future and that's see you know that that's what I'm in afore that the fight game doesn't last long competitive fighting doesn't last long learning martial arts and training is for life because that's medication to me so I will do that forever but as far as the fight game I'm in it to get all the money all the belts and then I'm gone one thing John Calvin has always said about his fighters is that he hopes they make it big they make a lot of money and they get out early and healthy and how long more do you think you will be in the UFC it's hard to say it's hard to say who knows who knows what what what will happen like is there a point where you say there that's theirs that's enough I get users I'll definitely be smart is it Jude I will never stay in there longer than I should I'm a smart man I'm smarter than I look I will not stay in stay in the fight it's a dangerous business get in get rich get out I want I won't staying at longer than longer than I have to how long that takes I can't put it I can't put a time on it because it feels easy to me right now it feels like I'm gonna steamroll to everybody right now and so let's see I'll just steamroll to everybody and carry on and then I'll decide what to do it's probably hard to think about it while you're in it exactly cause I don't like to think too far ahead so you haven't told no I don't like thinking too far ahead people say it like goals long-distance goals and [ __ ] that's too much for me I already feel like I'm living and then I just carry on the old I you know carry on day by day already living the final goal the goal of being the world champion I already carry myself like I'm my world champ and I already speak like I'm a world champion and and that's it I just carry on day by day so I'll take it as a a lot again like I said you were asking ask me about the future I let you I let you know a little bit closer and remain as far all I can see right now is the gold that's all I can see some MMA fighters at the moment are transitioning into Hollywood and it's almost like a stepping stone into the career after fighting mm-hmm it's not something you consider have you had offers what do you think of the the guys were fighting and acting get paid get paid I mean it is it I have some things lined up for after the for after the fight and I mean talk to people again if it involves money it's me again and I mean I'm gonna show band again make make money this is what this is about it's it's it's about the money what else is it about really what else is about so I think it's definitely crossed your mind at least money has crossed my mind and acting brings money so who knows water again who knows what's around the corner again I don't think too far ahead I push it to the side I just push all that to the side and hit the gym and one thing near serious coach Andy Ryan always mentions is that once you got into the UFC you were very good about making sure you brought other people with you obviously the most important your teammates but also fellow countryman so when you go through a night like you see Dobrynin you see five Irish fighters in three different clubs all winning in the night all representing Irish MMA so well in the life how does that make you feel unbelievable I can't put into words how proud I am of that they'd be able to even be considered that I've done something because I didn't do really I don't know that I showed up and I fought those people doing their own work they put in their own hours they followed their own path to get with it to get here but even begins considered to have helped them a little bit that's phenomenal but to watch it hop watch it on for life that's a moment in history that's a historic moment that would be watched for years for long after we're gone so it's phenomenal I get goosebumps even thinking about it my teammate asking day in the Ultima fire Aisling Daly has been with me since since I started the game since the gate since the team was tree strong me ash and Tom I'm ready for strong back then in a little hall with water dripping out the team she's a little girl and she's spying on us she's over there in Vegas now trying to compete on the Ultimate Fighter shell trying to fight for that belt spray for that contract where everything she has and I went over there and I when I was in Vegas they let me go see her and I was an emotional thing but now I complement the woods weed blood sweat and tears and go into this into this journey into this chase and to see everyone else get get get some get some get their credit the credit they deserve it's phenomenal and the future of MMA and Ireland then can you see the next wave of Irish fighters down to the UFC 100% I believe the next wave will be even better and the next wave have a path the next wave they can see the journey they can follow what way what way it went and then of course these kids come in there's parents coming in with their kids from like the height bringing them into the gym the man died but I saw it encouraging that's never like that that's going to go to a next level when you have the parents encouraging the dream and regardless of people again people can say it's barbaric and martial arts is barbaric or this game is too it's too much be anonymous two men beating each other or whatever the martial arts life will give you a discipline will give you dedication will give you a drive that you won't get nowhere else so whatever these kids that come in that size with our parents whatever they decide to do where they decide to conquer the martial arts world the fighting game or whether they want to go and conquer the business world whatever they decide to do training for combat sport training martial arts will give them that confidence to go and excel and anything so people can can criticize the better all they want but the results speak for themselves and seeing these little kids come in this size it's good times good times ahead I see and you think that that's it MMA is going to be a mainstream sport in our it always has a lot martial arts has been a part of Irish culture for a life every kid has done karate every kid has came up and don't take one though it's here and there you know everyone knows someone that does a little bit now it's just now it's a bit more public knowledge now people are actually just aware that hang on this is something that we we we enjoy and we take part and it's part of something that we've been there on for years upon years so again it grows from strength to strength so who knows what's what's next but it's good times ahead I believe from martial arts and and just for life in general I know you've got to head back to the gym for training so thanks a million for your time the very best to look on the 27th of September and the Pro to torch in the future on the way to the title sleep thank you so much good you you

Channel: eir Sport

Views: 809,283

Keywords: Conor McGregor (Award Winner), Interview (TV Genre), UFC178, Ultimate Fighting Championship (Sports Association), MMA, MMAjunkie.com (Website), Mixed Martial Arts (Martial Art), Dustin Poirier (Person Or Entity Appearing In Film), Martial Arts (Sport), Dana White UFC, Aviva Stadium (Sports Facility)

Id: AaZQw3Dh0K0

Length: 42min 53sec (2573 seconds)

Published: Wed Sep 10 2014

Reddit Comments

[u/Allergic_To_Water]

Thanks for posting. All aboard the hype train.

[u/Dr0me]

CHOOO CHOOO. HYPE TRAIN HAS LEFT THE STATION.

future champion right here.

[u/cdnz0mbie]

Two things I found out I didn't previously know. - Brandao threw a full water bottle at Conor before the fight - Conor signed a new deal with the UFC after 3 fights.

[u/eatmybum]

Cheers for posting, dude. Can't wait to watch this.

[u/Dylabaloo]

Great interview, I'm truly hyped for the 27th now.

[u/FMNW2L]

Mcgregor with the tech fleece

[u/[deleted]]

The hype is a bit too much considering who he has beaten in the ranks. Maybe a wee bit over drawn. I'll save my expectations until even after a win over poirier, there is alot of stiff competition in the division.