BOSTON — Conor McGregor takes confidence to a whole different level.
The Irish fighter, known for his gift of gab and trash-talking ways, is the main attraction of Sunday’s UFC Fight Night 59 at TD Garden, where he’ll take on UFC veteran Dennis Siver. McGregor’s incredible rise through the ranks of UFC’s featherweight division has been historic, and he’d only add to his legendary status with a win over Siver.
UFC president Dana White confirmed last week that McGregor will be next in line to fight Jose Aldo for a shot at the featherweight title if he earns a victory Sunday. But it’s a matter of when, not if, with the 26-year-old Irishman, who has amassed a 4-0 record in the octagon. There’s a possibility McGregor could come face-to-face with Aldo after the fight, and that’s just fine with him, as he’ll be looking and feeling peachy then.
“I don’t really think about those things, I will go by the feel of it,” McGregor said at Friday’s media day when asked if he’ll say anything to Aldo. “I’m sure, maybe, they should bring him into the octagon because I will be fresh as a daisy. There will not be a scratch on me. Whereas I would have gone into the cage in Brazil, only (Aldo) was badly, badly beat up.”
McGregor has fought in Boston before, defeating Max Holloway back in August, but he has become a household name in those last five months. While TD Garden was barely half full the last time McGregor was in Beantown, you can’t walk a block without seeing his face plastered on the side of something now.
“The last time (I was in Boston) I suppose it was a lot less, right?” McGregor asked. “But not in my mind it wasn’t less, you know. A lot less in reality, but in my imagination it was as much, if not more. All you have to do is walk down the street, you’ll see me. All you have to do is catch a bus, you’ll see my face on the side of it. All you have to do is hail a taxi, you’ll see my face on it. All you have to do is throw your trash in the bin, there I am again. I’m everywhere.”
McGregor is well on his way to becoming the face of UFC, and at least for the next two days, the face of Boston, apparently.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@MMAFighting
