UFC Champ Conor McGregor Responds To Joe Rogan’s ‘Illegitimate Made-Up Belt’ Comments

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We’ve got a while to wait for the much-hyped Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo featherweight title fight in December, but, until then, we can still enjoy more Notorious hijinx via the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, featuring McGregor and Urijah Faber as coaches. The show kicks off September 9 on FOX Sports 1, and the two have been doing the media rounds, with McGregor addressing Joe Rogan’s recent statements that his interim featherweight belt was “illegitimate.” First, the comments Rogan made on a recent podcast (transcription via the Inquisitr):

“Let’s be honest. McGregor has an illegitimate belt. It’s a made up belt. We call it the ‘interim’ belt but Aldo defended his title a year ago. Stripping a guy because he can’t get through a camp without getting injured is a part of MMA. It’s always been a part of MMA. But, because of the marketing, because of the hype behind it, because of the HUGE event, the enormity, the economics of the event, they decide to make [McGregor vs. Mendes] an interim fight.”

And now McGregor’s response (via Bloody Elbow):

“Really, what is a belt? What is Jose’s belt? He was handed the belt when they bought the WEC. He was gifted his belt. He didn’t win it from nobody. I mean the belt doesn’t mean jack sh*t. It’s the numbers that really mean business. That’s what I hold, every number in the damn game. As far as belts and stuff, I don’t really care about the belt as well. Whatever Joe wants to say, it’s fine. If he wants to say it’s an illegitimate belt, that’s his business. But December 12, I will unify the belts, move up to lightweight, and win that belt as well.”

As usual, Conor McGregor is an expert at talking big game. He came into the UFC swearing he’d take the belt off Jose Aldo, and now that it’s finally time to do that, he’s already looking beyond Aldo to the lightweight strap, as well. He doesn’t care about the worth of any single belt because he plans on having multiple belts!

The UFC has never allowed its champions to fight each other, so don’t expect Conor to immediately challenge for the 155-pound belt even if he takes the 145-pound belt off Aldo with ease. But the things McGregor says have a habit of coming true… it’s like he’s mastered the art of The Secret and is self-actualizing reality to his whim. So, I wouldn’t put becoming the first fighter to hold two UFC belts at the same time beyond him. Possibilities like that are part of what makes watching Conor McGregor so much fun.

(via Bloody Elbow)

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