Conor McGregor: I See Myself As The Face Of The UFC, The Headliner, The Champion

Everything changed in the UFC on April 6, 2013, the night Conor McGregor stepped into the Octagon for the first time against Marcus Brimage. Since then, the brash Irishman has captured the imagination of the fight world, and whether you’re with him or against him, odds are that you can’t stop watching to see what he’ll say or do next.

On Sunday, January 18, “The Notorious” one headlines a UFC Fight Night event in Boston against Dennis Siver. With a win, he will get a crack at featherweight champion Jose Aldo, but before the bell rings at TD Garden, let’s revisit some of Mr. McGregor’s most notable quotes.

PRE-HOLLOWAY
“One year ago, I was walking around like I was the King of the World, like I was the UFC champion, a two weight champion. I was where I am now. I always knew and I always believed that my time would come. Give me one shot, give me one chance, and I’ll steal the show and put the spotlight on martial arts in Ireland and on my gym, and that’s what happened. I visualized it so much that I believed it was happening, and one year later, it is happening. It shows me the strength of the mind. Now I see myself as the face of the UFC, the headliner, the champion, and I’m just gonna keep that belief, keep showing up in the gym, keep outhustling everyone else, and get to the top.”

SURPRISED?
“It hasn’t surprised me. I set my standards high, I aim high, and I was expecting this. As soon as I got the contract I knew this was gonna happen, I knew I have something that people want to see. I don’t quite know what it is and I can’t put it into words, but people tune in, they see me once, and they will tune in every time after that.”

EARLY DAYS
“We were only kids. Our pro team was three people deep at the time. Two featherweights, and (UFC vet) Tom (Egan) was a middleweight at the time. It probably happened a little bit too soon for Tom, but it gave us valuable experience and showed us that it was within reach if we dedicate ourselves to it, and that’s what we did.”