They say idle hands are the devil’s workshop, and Conor McGregor seems to be proving the adage true. Having last competed in August, and with no new fight on the horizon, McGregor has nonetheless been grabbing headlines with a series of controversies over the past several weeks.
In October, McGregor stirred up trouble when he was caught on camera using a homophobic slur multiple times backstage at a UFC event. A week later, McGregor issued an apology for the incident, but he quickly found himself back in the middle of controversy when he jumped in the Bellator cage in Dublin which eventually led to him having a physical altercation with referee Marc Goddard and slapping a Bellator employee. Once again, McGregor issued an apology but just as the tumult of that was dying down, the lightweight champion has been thrust back into controversy as this week he’s been the subject of rumors about an altercation in a Dublin bar involving Irish mobsters.
Needless to say, it’s been a concerning few weeks some; but for others, McGregor’s latest headline-grabbing exploits are just part of the “Notorious” experience.
Speaking yesterday on his podcast The Joe Rogan Experience, UFC commentator Joe Rogan said that McGregor’s antics are “fascinating” and make MMA fun.
“I wonder what it would take him, now that he’s had that big crazy fight at the fight where he jumped over the fence and pushed referee Marc Goddard, I wonder what it would take to get him back in the cage now,” said Rogan. “I wonder if there’s gonna be fines and suspensions. I wonder what the f**k is gonna happen. It’s quite fascinating.
“I’ll tell you one thing, he makes things fun. He does. He makes things fun with Oscar De La Hoya hitting the heavy bag on him. He should say he’ll fight Oscar De La Hoya but only if Oscar agrees to wear a skirt. ‘You’ve got to wear a skirt and you’ve got to wear fishnet stockings and I’ll f**king fight you.’”
That’s right, on top of his outbursts, McGregor was also recently called out by former boxing pay-per-view king Oscar De La Hoya. He was also propositioned by Manny Pacquiao for a boxing match next year but McGregor’s has insisted his next fight will be in MMA and ostensibly that means he will be facing UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson. The other frontrunner for a McGregor fight is a trilogy bout with his rival Nate Diaz but Rogan insists that McGregor should fight Ferguson first and then return to boxing briefly, setting up a truly massive third fight with Diaz.
“That’s the move. It used to be not the move but I think Tony Ferguson is the right move as far as for the fans. The real smart move would be fight an MMA fight and then fight a boxing match in a year. . . The Nate Diaz fight, although it could be huge, Nate’s not really fighting anybody right now. What I would like is Nate comes back and fights somebody and wins, Conor fights someone and wins, Conor fights a boxing match, they have a HUGE MMA fight after that! F**KING HUGE, GOD DAMN IT! Three million pay-per-view buys huge.”
All of this is contingent on McGregor sticking around fighting though and with his recent antics, even UFC President Dana White is questioning if McGregor would rather just spend the rest of his life enjoying the payday from the Floyd Mayweather fight instead. And as Rogan points out, there’s basically no limit on what McGregor can do at this point.
“He’s so loved by Ireland that he can almost do anything.”
MUST-READ STORIES
205. Dana White says Volkan Oezdemir still likely to get title shot despite recent arrest.
Conor. Dana White addressed Conor McGregor’s recent outside-the-cage issues.
185. Dana White will be “super pissed” if Georges St-Pierre vacates the middleweight title.
Farewell. Ben Askren set on retiring unless fight with St-Pierre or top welterweight happens.
Domestic violence. Jason Miller plead guilty to domestic violence charge.
VIDEO STEW
Embedded 2.
Free fights.
Floyd nixes the comeback talk.
Future champ.
Trailer for the Bellator tournament.
LISTEN UP
Fights Gone By. Jack Slack on Shanghai and UFC 218.
The MMA Circus. UFC Shanghai, Ben Askren’s career, and UFC 218 are discussed.
Obviously Fight Talk. UFC 218 preview and some other stuff.
SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE
Chris Wade still out here.
My point with this is that when your basically told you aren’t good enough despite winning and you continue to watch fighters in your weight with worse records and finish rates with UFC then that’s fucking bullshit to me. That’s where this corrupt system exposes itself. #ufc
— Chris Wade (@CWadeMMA) November 28, 2017
Headline of the day so far: Human Rooster says he’ll put a boomerang in a mans vagina. <—-this is our sport and what is promoted.
— Chris Wade (@CWadeMMA) November 28, 2017
Matchmaking.
Dealing with a small injury, be fresh again in no-time. I would love to stomp your fuckin head in right around then. https://t.co/v3BdYUXx1x
— Andre Fili (@TouchyFili) November 28, 2017
Easiest fight in the division. Name your date. https://t.co/wDEBlhbghK
— Jeremy Kennedy (@JeremyKennedyWC) November 29, 2017
Heated.
What a bureaucratic Fight! All the time you were trying to survive with your wrestling. A supposed champion without grace and without any emotion will not have the same luck. I will behind you. You know it @TheWolfMMA pic.twitter.com/u381OGSEik
— Dudu Dantas (@DuduDantasMMA) November 28, 2017
Stevie Ray asking the audience.
Ufc London getting closer who would you like to see me fight?? @UFCEurope @seanshelby @danawhite
— Steven Ray (@StevenRayMMA) November 28, 2017
Brilliant.
Bowe vs Mcgregor. Bowe
— Riddick Bowe (@riddickbowe) November 29, 2017
Francis Ngannou breaking the punching power record.
PVZ is a Nelly fan.
“You can find me in St.Louie” #UFCSTL pic.twitter.com/qm9nHMq7AW
— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) November 29, 2017
Ali being Ali.
Hello welterweight division can someone please grow a set of and fight @USMAN84kg ?@seanshelby @danawhite 3-2-1 go!
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) November 28, 2017
Extended.
FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
Ricardo Lamas (18-5) vs. Josh Emmett (12-1); UFC Winnipeg, Dec. 16.
Khalil Rountree (6-2) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (12-2); UFC 219, Dec. 30.
FINAL THOUGHTS
That’s all for today, folks. Take it easy and see y’all tomorrow.
EXIT POLL
Poll
Who wins?
This poll is closed
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78%
Justin Gaethje
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21%
Eddie Alvarez
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