Conor McGregor was the main attraction at last night’s UFC event The Time is Now.
The evening was in place for the UFC to make a “big announcement” but the crowd was left disappointed when UFC president Dana White revealed that the promotion had run out of time and there would be no announcement.
He said: “I hate to disappointment everybody, but we didn’t get it done in time for this.”
It was left to Conor McGregor to steal the show and “The Notorious” did not shy away from the responsibility.
He led the panel (which included UFC superstars Jon Jones, Anderson Silva and Ronda Rousey) by a country mile in terms of questions asked.
McGregor meets Dennis Siver (22-9-1NC) at UFC Fight Night Boston on 18 January and when asked about what he thought about the level of competition he would get from the German, McGregor was predictably cocky.
He said: “I feel extremely confident that I will use my movement to freeze Dennis, I believe.
“He is a compact fighter as it is, and I will use my movement to freeze him.
“And then I will take his head clean off and raise it in beautiful Boston city – Ireland No. 2, I like to call it.”
He added: “I won’t look past Dennis, I will look through him and carry on. 2015 will be my year.”
Siver was given the chance to reply, though, saying: ” A lot of people think that it might be a mismatch but I don’t care. The UFC asked me to take on the fight and I will win it!”
The Dub was as vocal as always about fighters in the featherweight division, likening Ricardo Lamas’ fighting style to running away “like a p***y.”
When asked about who he’d prefer to win in Saturday’s main event between Cub Swanson and Frankie Edgar, McGregor explained his rationale for rooting for Swanson.
“I want Cub to win and I will make a freshly made pie and smack him in the face with it when I get the title shot.”
And the SBG fighter couldn’t help but bring up 145lb champ Jose Aldo, dismissing his performance in his last title defence against Chad Mendes.
He said: “He showed his frustration in the contest. Both competitors were very similar in styles.
“I pose different movements and different reactions than anybody on the roster, not just the division.
“I’m highly confident I will shut Jose Also down in spectacular fashion and take over the game.”
The topic of the potential title fight between McGregor and Aldo taking place in Ireland was hinted at by the Irishman but no confirmation of such a deal came on the night.
McGregor said: ” [After Siver ] It’s on to big things. Jose will be told what to do, and he’ll be told he must fly economy to Ireland to meet me in an 85,000-seat football stadium, break records … biggest crowd, highest pay-per-view. And then he will hand over that belt on home soil.”
The closest that we came to an official announcement on the next UFC card in Ireland arrived at the beginning of the press conference when Jon Anik said in passing that “It’s a priority for the UFC to return to the UK and Ireland in 2015.”
McGregor’s next obstacle, though, is the possible banana-peel fight against Dennis Siver. The pair faced off after the press conference and the intensity was clear from “The Notorious.”
