NEW YORK — Conor McGregor has given up energy drink cans and going bigger: chairs.
The UFC featherweight champion grabbed the one he was sitting on at Thursday's UFC 205 pre-fight press conference here at Madison Square Garden and looked to toss it in the direction of his opponent Eddie Alvarez. Alvarez picked up his chair and dropped it behind McGregor after a verbal back and forth, igniting "The Notorious."
UFC president Dana White grabbed McGregor in a bear hug and pushed him away. A security guard then swooped in and dragged the brash Irishman off stage. He was back and calm a minute later and no other physical antics ensued.
Moments before the craziness, McGregor arrived at the press conference late (as usual) wearing a white mink Gucci jacket, red shirt, and pajama-looking pants. He referred to himself as a "pimp."
"I'm a f*cking pimp, I'm in Gucci mink — and without me, this whole ship sink," McGregor said on stage.
He was asked later what he would have done with the chair had White not been on the dais.
"Bounce it off his f*cking head," McGregor said.
Alvarez actually stormed off stage before McGregor showed up, seemingly angry that his opponent was late. When McGregor got on stage finally, he grabbed Alvarez's belt off his area and put in front of him. Alvarez abruptly came back to the dais and snatched it right back. That's what led to the wild, near chair-throwing incident.
McGregor was actually fined $75,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission for throwing water bottles and an energy drink can at Nate Diaz and his team at the pre-fight UFC 202 press conference in August.
Alvarez got some shots in, too. He said McGregor picked up a chair because he needed one against him. The UFC lightweight champ also said he knew about McGregor's anticipated big announcement, which he is supposed to reveal after UFC 205. Alvarez joked that McGregor is having two kids, but his girlfriend is not pregnant with twins.
"You do the math," Alvarez said.
McGregor did not respond to that shot. He did to another, when Alvarez told him he wanted him to apologize after bringing up Alvarez's wife and children during the media conference call last week.
"Suck my big, Irish balls," McGregor said.
McGregor will attempt to be the first fighter to win UFC titles in two different weight classes Saturday night here. Alvarez is trying to make his first 155-pound title defense.
At that point, the talk will be over. On Thursday, though, there was Alvarez saying he was disappointed in Ireland, as someone who is half Irish in heritage, because McGregor is their representative. And McGregor saying Alvarez will be finished quickly.
"Eddie is damaged goods," McGregor said. "He's aged. He looks a bit gaunt."
We'll find out if that's true before long.
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