Conor McGregor is probably the only fighter outside of Muhammad Ali who could have ever sold a pay-per-view event around an interview.
The UFC lightweight champion, speaking to a thrush of fans in Manchester, England, had plenty of curses to spit, mostly at boxer Floyd Mayweather. The two have feuded over the last nine months, going back and forth on setting up a megafight.
McGregor, who is still under contract with UFC, said he has enjoyed the dialogue and thinks his next fight will be in a boxing ring.
McGregor says the next time he walks into the a combat arena it will be through a boxing ring ropes.
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) January 28, 2017
He also said that he's not interested in fights with Khabib Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson or even welterweight champ Tyron Woodley. The man he wants to fight next is Floyd Mayweather, but if the legendary boxer turns him down, McGregor said he may take on Manny Pacquiao instead.
McGregor also said he thinks the fight will take place at either the end of 2017 or beginning of 2018, which puts UFC in a predicament.
He bashed the company for taking away his 145-pound belt and if he's serious about taking on Mayweather, then they are going to have to take away his 155-pound belt as well, which would mean McGregor would be the first ever simultaneously two-division champ who never defended either belt.
He may be the best thing for the company going, but McGregor knows that and is taking advantage of it. We'll see if this all actually comes to fruition or if UFC gets the Irishman to back down and fight in the octagon again.
