Conor McGregor is cool all the gods, and apparently he's still cool with the UFC, too.
There have been rampant rumors lately that "The Notorious" and UFC brass have had a falling out. That talk was amped up after video surfaced of UFC co-owner Frank Fertitta apparently slamming the title belt after McGregor beat Jose Aldo to win the UFC featherweight title at UFC 194 in December.
McGregor (19-2) told Andrew McGahon of Severe MMA in an interview this week that nothing has changed between him, UFC president Dana White and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta despite the rumblings.
"It's all horse sh*t, that is," McGregor said. "I have a great relationship with Lorenzo and a great relationship with Dana. Don't get me wrong, I'm climbing that corporate ladder every day and we will be neck and neck. Maybe somewhere along the line, I will take that lion's share. But we will always be together. Loyalty is what I have. They gave me this. They are helping me with this and I am helping them. We are a team."
McGregor, the UFC's biggest financial draw, will move up to lightweight and face champion Rafael dos Anjos in the main event of UFC 196 on March 5 in Las Vegas. After that, the brash Irishman said he has committed to competing at UFC 200. He would live to move up to welterweight and challenge for that belt at some point.
"I am taking what I want and I am doing what I want," McGregor said. "When you can rack up $400 million in revenue for the company, you can do whatever the f*ck you want. I'm living the whatever-the-f*ck-I-want life. That's the life I live. Whatever I want, whenever I want. And I have earned that through hard work, through sacrifice and that's it -- through victory."
That doesn't mean McGregor is trying to be bigger than the UFC. But he said it does mean he's trying to be on a level playing field with execs. The Fertittas are billionaires.
"I'm not trying to break out," McGregor said. "I'm just trying to grow, be eye to eye and get my share of the f*ckin' pie and that's it. And they know that. I say that straight off the bat. But I will always be in association with Zuffa and the great team at the UFC. It's an honor to grow along with this company."
McGregor, 27, said after Lawler he could even go up again at fight at middleweight. He joked that the Internet meme of him with a big belly could come true.
"I'm here to win every belt and then I'm gone," McGregor said. "And then I'll see the game later. I'll set it ablaze and walk away. And that's it."