Preparing for his return to the Octagon at UFC 246 later this month, Conor McGregor took questions on all things relative to his career on Thursday.
Speaking to The Mac Life after a workout in Dublin, Ireland, McGregor spoke on several topics including a potential fight with Justin Gaethje, other possible opponents, and that he is ready to step-in as a replacement for the lightweight title fight at UFC 249, if need be.
Another topic McGregor addressed was his bitter rivalry with current lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov. When asked about his first fight against Nurmagomedov, McGregor said his last camp was horrendous, but he’s gotten back to where he needs to be.
“He is trembling… he can run, but he cannot hide.”@TheNotoriousMMA wants a rematch with Khabib, calling his training camp for their first fight “horrendous.”
Full interview via @Maclifeofficial ▶️ https://t.co/i1WSVTMlve pic.twitter.com/1avPQS3TBF
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) January 3, 2020
“That last camp was horrendous, I have no one to blame but myself, and I did blame myself and I made the corrections. Thankfully I have a strong team behind me that are pushing me and guiding me the right way and I’m guiding myself is the main thing. I’m listening to myself and I’m doing my work that I need to do, that I know I need to do. Fighting is always close to my mind now and I know I’ve got many business and these types of things that are trying but fighting is my bread and butter and that’s what I’m focused on.”
When asked about the reasoning for wanting a rematch with Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor told The Mac Life that he’s having fun with his former opponent, and that Khabib is “trembling” on the thought of another fight between the two.
“I’m just having fun with it all now, he is trembling. That man is trembling, he doesn’t want it. He doesn’t want it. You get it and he’s trying not to lose it again. I just smell s**t, that’s all it is. He’s afraid and that’s it. Everyone wants it, the boss wants it, Dana wants it, we all want it, so he can run but he can not hide, I look forward to it.”
What do you make of McGregor’s comments about a potential rematch with Nurmagomedov and do you think it’ll happen?
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 1/3/2019