When the negotiations finally wrapped for the Floyd Mayweather fight and Conor McGregor was looking at a nine-figure payday, many thought this would be the end of the UFC champ’s career. MMA fighters are notoriously underpaid, except for a few key people, so why go on taking damage to the brain if you can sit back with a fortune most of the biggest MMA fighters ever couldn’t acquire? Even Dana White wasn’t sure if McGregor would fight in the UFC again.
Now that rumor seems to be put to rest, at least for now. MMA Fighting got the money quote from Conor McGregor at his hastily thrown-together open workout (that was supposed to go down next week):
“I love the sport of boxing. Boxing has been dear to my heart my whole, entire life. “I will contend in boxing bouts going forward, and I will contend in mixed martial arts bouts going forward. I will rule both with an iron fist, and that’s where my mindset is.”
“I will have fun. I like it over this side. It’s good. The buildup is good, the preparation is good, I love the sport of boxing, I love the sport of mixed martial arts. I just love fighting. So wherever there’s a fight, you’ll see me.”
You can watch the media workout below:
The first thing that comes to mind is a McGregor/Paulie Malignaggi boxing fight. After all of the drama of their training camp, that fight would sell itself. And when it comes to MMA, maybe this means Conor, after winning four belts in his career, will finally, finally, finally defend one. Maybe. He should fight Nate Diaz in Ireland first. Put Khabib Nurmagomedov and Tony Ferguson together for the interim (or real title at this point) and move forward with the UFC. Conor can come in like Brock Lesnar and be the main draw once a year or so.
(Via MMA Fighting)
