EXCLUSIVE: Conor McGregor rejects retirement talk & vows to keep fighting until he's in the 'grave'

Connor, how are you, buddy, what's up? Yes, I'm very well, you look, you look great as always, thank you, thank you very much, it's good to see the radiant smile once again, thank you for being here. life like in 2024 for Conor McGregor training walking you know waiting for opportunities waiting for a breakthrough hoping to stay on a good path and you know supporting my family I pray every day I can know to be well to be a good provider and a Well, you know, I support my family, let's

talk

about this crazy rise, so in an eight-year period from collecting welfare checks to being ranked the highest-earning sports star on the planet by Forbes in 2021, MH, tell me about that journey. to go from there to some crazy place that no one could even imagine you know it's hectic H but that's all it is you know that's all it says on the 10th it's everything I had hoped for I aspired to everything I worked for you know so I I could never, ever complain.

You know, people have real problems. The problems I face are not the real problems. Know. I feel like I can do almost anything. That's a good thing, so I have to support myself and, you know,

keep

my family together. I have my family here now, so I'm very happy with that and that's it, I just stick with it for more opportunities, more, more. More things come along to

keep

me busy, you know, that keeps me distracted from what's going on in the world today, which is sometimes sad to see and, you know, annoying, so I'd like to just stay focused.

I have many. I have a hectic schedule so I don't have time to think and that's not good for me, can you remember the first time you watched the UFC? Yeah, I would have watched the UFC in the back in the days when he used to do it. being on Bravo, you know that Bravo TV show, a long time ago, you know Randy drowns back in the day, probably maybe before that, Hank Abberton, you all know those kind of guys back in the day, what did you think when he did it? did you see for the first time?

I loved. I sure loved it. I didn't know what it was and it fascinated me. The UFC is truly stellar and has allowed me to pursue my dreams to achieve my goal of, you know, success and adoration, and you know, the World Championships. and that's it. I will always be indebted to the UFC and eternally grateful to be a part of this incredible company and I hope it continues for a long time. I have two fights left on my contract. Hopefully this year we can do this and, you know, we're still here. There's plenty of time left in the fourth quarter of 2024, so I'm confident in that and

talk

s are ongoing and you know, after that I'd still like to be a part of the UFC, so let's see how it goes.

Being part of the UFC, being a face of the UFC then allowed you to be successful. Elsewhere, for example, everyone now seems to be talking about champion status, yes, everyone seems to be talking about crossover fights as they enter the boxing world. the guy who kicked those doors open, but tell me about the UFC platform that allows you to then try these other things and be successful in other places as well. Oh, it certainly was an important launching pad that you know is aligned with the UFC for anyone. an important launching pad, it's one of their negotiating tactics, okay, you're with the UFC now, that in itself is prestige, which is enough to say that you know you can take a lower value than another area can take you offer today.

It's the weather, but it's the value of the UFC brand and how it maintains the Mega weight and you know, look how it has worked for me, you know it has helped me, it has helped catapult me ​​to many arenas where I have had great success. You know, through the double weight status, I always try to improve within the organization and build, of course, but that then led to me kicking down the door of a crossover fight which then led me to the liquor business, which It has been mon. Monumental for me and you know it also led me into the film business, so it's been a great relationship, a great partnership, that's what it is, it's been a partnership that I've established from the beginning and that I'm excited about. the future I'm really excited about the future that you talked about a moment or two ago.

There are disadvantages to obviously reaching the levels you have achieved. Which are? What are the weights that come with being Conor McGregor now? You know, I'm telling you, whatever the weight, it's like you're an animal in the zoo, sometimes, you know, you're always, you're always under surveillance, you're always, you know, there's always temptation around, I can get whatever I want. I can do whatever I want, so even that alone can make people lost, so, you know, it's just about keeping it level, training yourself, I think that's right and I'm just thinking about this in this business of cinema.

In fact, I said it. to the director the other day I feel like he could play any role on planet Earth. I feel like my life is so far from reality that no one knows me, no one really knows me, they have assumptions about me, but no one really knows me and that's in my favor, I feel like I could play any role, you know, people say that I look different every day, every time they see me, I look different, so if it was a place I wanted to go, I would like it, but I don't really like it, that's what I don't like, to be honest , it's a little strange to me, take me right to the Blade octagon, boy, yeah, away from the UFC, we'll come back to that in a minute, but away from the UFC you mentioned movies, whiskey, Stout restaurants, it's all success, success, success, At some point in the future you won't be able to fight, whether it's because of age or whatever, you know there's someone else who would fight.

Well you know, look at Tyson, Mike Tyson is now

fighting

Jake Paul, right, he's

fighting

him again, he also fought Roy Jones, so you know, that guy is old when he was fighting Roy Jones Jr. it was something that really caught my attention. Mike Tyson was asked Roy Jones, also an older guy who you know had been retired for so long, why you know it's a recalibration of your competition, there are competitive competitions, there's a reason in Jiu tournaments -Jitsu, it's like you know the Veterans Division and all this. I don't really feel like I can ever call Daye until he's laying down and that's in a box and sunk into the ground, that's when I would call it day, so something that really caught my attention. with Mike Tyson was H.

He was asked in an interview about the fight with Roy Jones Jr. What do you think Cato who was Cato who was his mentor and trainer what do you think Cato would tell you after all these years why? Why are you coming back now or and and T what Tyson said really hit me he said what Kus would tell me is what took you so long and that really hit me it's like people wake up to the pressure of life. You know, uncertainty stuff that you see a lot, like you meet people in their post fight, even the most recent one with Dustin and Volkanovski as well, and a lot of fighters it's like the weight of something, even George St Pierre when he originally retired, it's like the weight of something overtakes them and they just allow it and just boom, take them out of the game.

I'm aware that that's present, I'm aware that that's present, that feeling and that thing, whatever it is, but I'm also aware that you know rest Rec recovery recalibration I'm not going to be 40 OD and looking at Wonder Boy 19 year old from wherever it is, you know what I'm saying even though they might be calling Meo or whatever, you know what I am. I'm saying look at all my potential opponents that I have, I have groups of opponents, I could literally fight and I have history with trilogies, side fights, new fights, even these are a similar age to me, so if these people have a similar age to mine and I have an interested audience, which I do, who's to say these fights won't happen when they happen, you know what I mean, it's all of us, it's towards the Grave, my man, it's towards the Tomb, yes, fighting. feel the way you talk about it that that's where you are most free at your most yes, just because I'm in control of it, I'm in control of everything, yes I know, I live well, I stay focused, I keep going, are you you? calm down there when when when when sh below no matter what's going on out here yeah that's where you're safe mhm