Las Vegas – As one of the most highly anticipated rematches in UFC® history approaches, featherweight champion Conor McGregor hosted a gym day for media in Las Vegas in advance of his grudge match with Nate Diaz. UFC® 202: DIAZ vs. McGREGOR 2 takes place Saturday, August 20 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Quotes:
On the emotion after the fight:
“It’s part of the game. The highs are high and the lows are very, very low. This is the game we’re in. No one makes it out of this game unscathed, all you have to do is look at the history books. I made my plans for revenge and that’s it.”
On why he insisted the fight be at 170 again and the fight in general:
“He’s (Diaz) a welterweight now, he’s about 200-pounds. I couldn’t have made it at any weight other than the weight I lost at. I was controlling the contest, I was slapping the head off of him. I wanted to keep it as is, I wanted no changes and I got it.”
“I have reasons why I performed that way, but tune in August 20th and you’ll see the real me.”
“He was like Homer Simpson in that fight, he just kept taking shots until I couldn’t hit him anymore.”
“I feel strong in my mind. I don’t feel defeat. True champions rise again and I’m a true champion. I look forward to rising again on August 20th.”
“He’s got weight, he’s got endurance and I need to go in there and put him away. I am laser focused and I have to go put him away.”
On the changes he made in this camp:
“Usually at the end of camp I’m banged up, I’m absolutely perfect. This time of the last camp I was in a bad way, the opponent change, I was banged up. This time, I’m fresh, I’m underweight and I know he’s about 200-pounds. It’s been a phenomenal camp and I look forward to showcasing what I’ve been doing in the gym.”
On Dana saying he’s fighting Aldo next:
“I read that, we’ll see. There’s a lot to still happen yet. I’m going to go in there, to face this man (Diaz), do what I know I can do and put him away and then we’ll see.”
“They’re (the rest of the division) praying I don’t come back. Tell me one time I didn’t make weight. I made championship weight when I didn’t have to. I am the featherweight world champion. The guy I KO’d in seconds is the interim, I am leaps and bounds ahead of that division.”
On fighting in NYC:
“Right now we’re in Sin City, the desert and I’ve got business to handle here.”
On having a full camp to prepare:
“I’m interested to see what the boy (Diaz) has done with a full camp. Let’s see what his full camp has done. I believe I am the better fighter by a long stretch. He is tough, durable and big, that’s it. He’s spoke a big game about it, so let’s see.”
On the lack of trash talk leading up to the fight:
“This trash talk thing, I feel like I’m talking the truth every time. I’m going to go out there and slap that big, heavy guy with eyeballs around the ring.”
On his contract:
“The contract is sweet as pie. I believe I’m a strong reason why this company was sold for $4 billion. This contract is sweet, the next one will be better.”
On the Olympics:
“There are some amazing athletes in Rio right now and I look forward to having my Olympics August 20th.”
On Ric Flair’s comments:
“Ric Flair is a legend. As far as talking about gimmicks this (MMA) is the real thing here. These WWE guys are messed up in the head, the new guys are dweebs. The main guy, John Cena, he’s 40-years-old walking around in a bright orange t-shirt and a headband complaining that no one can see him. He’s a failed Olympian. This is the real thing over here. No disrespect to the dons. Vinnie Mac is a legend. What he’s been able to do with these dweebs is amazing.”
On whether he needs to beat Nate to continue talking the way he does:
“I shine under those lights and I will do it again on August 20th.”
On fighting Mayweather:
“Right now I have Floyd running around the Showtime offices gathering my money. As soon as he has my money, we can fight.”
“If you want to fight me we can fight. If you need a safety net of rules, we can do that as long as you have my money. I don’t need no rules to protect me. That’s my thoughts on all that.”
“Why dominate in one world when you can dominate two?”
On his comments about beating Cristiano Ronaldo on the Forbes list:
“This is a $4 billion company and luckily I’m the head of operations. I’ll see him up there next year.”
PHOTO CREDIT: BRANDON MAGNUS / ZUFFA, LLC.
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