Conor McGregor has opened up about his “publicised civil war” with the UFC.
The UFC featherweight has shed more light on his very public dispute with Zuffa in an interview on ESPN’s Sports Centre,
McGregor infamously announced his retirement from the sport, before swiftly announcing his return on Twitter, but this came after he was booted off  his UFC 200 main event rematch against Nate Diaz for refusing to show up to the event’s press conference in Vegas.
According to the Notorious, the media obligations the promotion were asking him to do were simply too much.
“I was in a time when I was figuring out something. I didn’t just shut out and say no to everything, I just wanted to do reasonable media.”
“Then, hey, all of a sudden, it’s three months from the fight – we’ve got to drag you… 40-hour flights to do a run around New York, Vegas, California – 70 talk shows, adverts, all of this. I was like, ‘I only made you $400m last week. That was only last week, that fight… That’s how it all came about.”
WATCH: Conor McGregor sends a message to the UFC https://t.co/M7gOIdoAQp
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 1, 2016
McGregor admitted that his use of Twitter as a platform to break the news of his retirement and then subsequently claim that he was back on UFC 200 started off as “just a bit of fun.” However, when it blew up and the Zuffa big wigs kicked him off the landmark Vegas card, it became more serious.
“All of a sudden , you’re off 200. So I was like, oh well, fuck you too.”
Jesus, tell us what you really think https://t.co/medgbL4UO6
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) May 1, 2016
Perhaps the most interesting part of the interview was when McGregor was asked whether he’d be returning to the UFC. Reports indicate that his meeting with UFC president Dana White last week over his future went well, but McGregor didn’t give away much with his response to the question.
“I’m committed to the fight game. I enjoy competition. I enjoy challenges. So, if a challenge is in front of me, and it appeals to me, then I will go and I will conquer it… I’m open to challenges. I enjoy fighting, period.”
Interesting times ahead.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ZcqDQDwQE
