https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sjg_sT96f4&feature=youtu.be
Conor McGregor seems drained. Gone is the UFC 196 promotion in which Conor seemingly reigned supreme verbally and mentally over Nate Diaz, as he had with so many others. Now, Conor is coming off a loss, and he’s beginning to repeat himself. His bravado is becoming a cliché and his sh*t talk is getting less clever. Where he used to laugh, he loses his cool. This is not the Conor McGregor from mid-February. That Conor McGregor very well could be gone, and Nate Diaz took his soul. It makes him want to throw bottles and cans.
Take this visit to SportsCenter. Conor McGregor seemed angry, tired and in general sick of the press and media that he delighted in so much just a few months ago. The host says, “you said it’s been an educational experience, what have you learned about yourself?” To which Conor replied, “Eh, just that… I don’t know, f*ck everything?”
So, maybe a delay next time, @SportsCenter… pic.twitter.com/QGLXZXsai3
— ʀᴏʀʏ (@rorymcgrath) August 17, 2016
When Conor doesn’t have something to say, it probably means he has things on his mind. He didn’t even have the wherewithal to realize he was cursing (in an exasperated way) live on ESPN. Say what you will about fight promotion, but a sigh of a f*ck is not a f*ck in the heat of the moment.
Could he be thinking about what a possible second loss to Nate Diaz will do to his legacy, his hype, and his persona? He still has the 145 belt, but he said back in March that he doesn’t care about the belt. He’s there for the money fights and the biggest fights possible. Big money fights tend to be for the belt, and he knows it. He’ll also be deemed a loser, someone who is winless at welterweight. He simply can’t get Nate to flinch like he did with Jose Aldo and the rest.
Conor went on to say, “I came here just to fight, I didn’t come here to do all the other stuff.” Hopefully, he realizes that his exciting style mixed with his mic skills are what makes him the megastar who is able to flaunt his wealth. It’s a symbiotic relationship for McGregor. If he was just himself without the words, he’d be Yair Rodriquez or an Edson Barboza (but better).
Now we’re here, with Conor saying all the fight things, but acting in a manner we’ve never seen before. What will we see on fight night?