Conor McGregor welcomed back to Las Vegas ahead of UFC 229
Irish superstar Conor McGregor hasn’t forgotten how to give fans what they want in his two years away from UFC competition.
The former two-division champion took the stage for open workouts Wednesday at Park Theater at Park MGM ahead of his UFC 229 title bout and channeled the brash, over-the-top persona that has made him the most popular fighter in the organization’s history.
There was a bold prediction of a quick finish of lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena, a brief session of hitting mitts, intense screaming, a wardrobe change and a mic flip when he was done for good measure.
Even McGregor’s 1-year-old son, Conor Jr., made an appearance on stage.
The raucous crowd maintained its enthusiasm throughout the fighter’s appearance, which lasted all of about 15 minutes. McGregor said his fight will be even shorter.
“Devastating KO,” McGregor said of how he plans to beat the undefeated Nurmagomedov. “Too easy to hit, too flat-footed, too predictable. I’m going to knock him clean out.”
McGregor last fought in the UFC when he became the first simultaneous two-division champion by knocking out Eddie Alvarez in November 2016 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
During his time away, he competed in one of the most lucrative boxing matches in history — losing to Floyd Mayweather — experienced the birth of his son and had both belts taken away as the UFC sought to move the lightweight and featherweight divisions forward.
McGregor hopes to reclaim one of them in his return against one of the most dominant fighters the UFC has seen, particularly when he gets bouts to the ground.
The 30-year-old McGregor insists he’s not concerned with Nurmagomedov’s ability to smother his opponents.
“It’s just good to be back,” McGregor told UFC reporter Megan Olivi. “I’m going to have a proper fight. I’m going to come out there fast. I don’t give a (expletive) about anything — any wrestling, any technique — anything. I’m coming for that man’s head from the (expletive) bell. Trust me on that.
“Saturday night, I’ll be putting on a show. I’m going to take his head off, trust me.”
The champion’s session was even shorter than McGregor’s. But Nurmagomedov gave a glimpse of what he might use as material during what’s expected to be a tense news conference Thursday.
Nurmagomedov, who said little as McGregor hurled insults about his homeland of Dagestan and exposed specifics about his manager’s personal problems during a promotional event in New York last month, apparently did some research of his own.
He called out McGregor’s Irish fans, who loudly booed the champion while he was onstage, on Wednesday for speaking English instead of traditional Gaelic. Nurmagomedov, whom McGregor on Wednesday referred to as a “Dagestani rat,” also took a shot at McGregor’s lineage.
“This guy talks (about) fighting against English, but his grandfather, Christopher McGregor, was with the English navy,” Nurmagomedov said. “And he killed your people. And now you guys support him. I’m gonna change this Saturday night.
“In three days, you’re going to like me.”
It only made the jeers louder.
NOTE — Thursday’s news conference at Park Theater is open to the public. Doors open at 2 p.m., with UFC president Dana White taking the stage with McGregor and Nurmagomedov at 3.
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Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-277-8028. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on Twitter.
UFC 229
Main card fights for Saturday’s pay-per-view event at T-Mobile Arena:
— Khabib Nurmagomedov (26-0) vs. Conor McGregor (21-3), for Nurmagomedov’s lightweight belt
— Tony Ferguson (25-3) vs. Anthony Pettis (21-7), lightweights
— Ovince Saint Preux (22-11) vs. Dominick Reyes (9-0), light heavyweights
— Derrick Lewis (20-5, 1 No Contest) vs. Alexander Volkov (29-6), heavyweights
— Michelle Waterson (15-6) vs. Felice Herrig (14-7), women’s strawweights
