The Super Bowl wasn’t the only important event going down this past weekend. While the UFC’s traditionally huge Saturday night lead in to the big game ended up being decimated with injuries to the point where it was downgraded from a pay-per-view to Fox Sports 1 event, the World MMA Awards still went ahead as planned. Started in 2008 by UK magazine Fighters Only, the awards have become the de facto Oscars for mixed martial arts.
Unsurprisingly, Conor McGregor snagged the award for Fighter of the Year. He couldn’t make it to the Vegas event in person with his fight for the lightweight title just around the corner, so instead he recorded a video on his phone — in portrait mode no less, making it look like his disembodied head was floating above the crowd. And then McGregor told the fighters in attendance to show him what they got.
“I apologize for not being there, there’s another man who must be slain, another who must be dethroned,” McGregor said. “There are more numbers that need to be broken. I need to feed all you bums, I need to feed every one of yous that’s in the game so I’ve gotta keep working. Because yous bums don’t work. You’ve got the heavyweight champion, he’s a pussy. Pulling out with a sore toe. How’s the heavyweight champion gonna pull out with a sore toe? What kind of champion is that? The game is on its knees.”
“I apologize I can’t be there at the awards,” he repeated as a smattering of boos drifted from the audience. “But I’m out here working. Putting in the true work. The work it takes to keep every one of yous fed. So, thank you … and thank me.”
That’s a very direct attack towards heavyweight champ Fabricio Werdum, who chose to pull out of his Super Bowl weekend fight after his original opponent Cain Velasquez did the same with an injury. Werdum cited issues with his foot that he was willing to work through to face Velasquez, but not his replacement, the lesser known but very dangerous Stipe Miocic.
As for feeding all the other ‘bums’, that’s standard Conor McGregor braggadocio claiming he’s the only one selling tickets and putting butts in seats while the rest of the roster costs the UFC more money than they make. He’s certainly not going to make many friends with comments like that, but McGregor isn’t in the UFC to make friends … he’s here to make history.