CONOR MCGREGOR’S stunning KO debut in Stockholm has booked his place on the UFC card in Boston later this summer.
McGregor pocketed the $60,000 bonus for knockout of the night as he exploded on to the scene and beat America’s Marcus Brimage after just 67 seconds at UFC on Fuel 9 yesterday.
Immediately UFC president Dana White had to field questions about the Dubliner’s next bout and before he was even asked, White confirmed that McGregor will fight in Boston’s TD Garden on 17 August.
“The answer is yes,” White said. “You’re going to ask if I’m going put McGregor on the card.”
“Let me put it this way, I’m blown away. First of all, it’s his first fight ever in the UFC. He walked out tonight and got into the octagon like it was his 100th fight in the UFC.
From the minute the bell started he was nice and relaxed, moved around. Even after he gets the knockout, it’s like he’s been here before and done it a hundred times.Kid is totally relaxed. He’s a beast. I’m impressed. Dresses well, handsome kid, seems pretty smart.
Asked if McGregor’s team-mate, Cage Warriors European champion Cathal Pendred, would also be considered for Boston, White said “I don’t know who he is yet.”
YouTube Credit: RKO2k14
For McGregor, who trains out of the Straight Blast Gym under Ireland’s top MMA coach John Kavanagh, his stunning debut win took a little while to sink in.
“I felt the same,” the 24-year-old featherweight said at the post-fight press conference.
“Even walking in, you know the way people say about UFC jitters, I didn’t feel it. It just felt like another contest to me. Competition is competition. It doesn’t matter if it’s in a local club or here. It just felt the same.
To be honest, I don’t know what’s going on here. I’m just after hearing $60,000 and I’m just thinking of what I’m going to spend it on. I’m going to buy myself a nice car and buy myself some nice suits, some custom-made suits.Just last week I was in collecting social welfare. I was saying to them I don’t know what’s going to happen, I’m signed to the UFC but blah blah blah. Now I suppose I’m just going to have to tell them to fuck off!
No opponent has been confirmed for the Boston show yet but McGregor says he’s happy to take on any challenger.
“I just want to be kept busy. Competition keeps me focused. Any time I don’t have competition ahead of me, I just seem to drift. I want to be kept busy: whatever, wherever and whenever.
“We’re in the middle of Sweden and the first two questions are Irish people. We love this sport and it’s great to see all the Irish flags out there. Hopefully it persuades Dana and the UFC to come back to Dublin. We’ve got some great fighters in our area so hopefully we get a show out of it.”
