Below, McGregor talks about his ‘Notorious’ reputation as a knockout puncher and the history behind his vicious persona.
“People think I’m a celebrity. I’m not a celebrity. I break people’s faces for money and bounce,” said McGregor in his interview with Zach Baron. “I’ve been fighting my whole f***ing life.”
On where his ferocious streak (through which he’s become a multi-millionaire in the octagon) came from, McGregor put it plainly down to what nestles between his legs.
“It’s all in the nutsack. It’s all in the ball sack. I just have confidence that comes from my big ball sack, and I know when I smack you, you’re going down. And that’s it.
“No one’s work is clean like my work. My shots are clean. My shots are precise. Look at Nate (Diaz). Nate was 200 pounds. When I hit him down, it was exactly like if a sniper took aim at someone in between their eyeballs and let the thing rip. The way he dropped, it was like a sack of sh**. So that’s a power I have.”
On his current dispute with UFC boss Dana White, McGregor – who has a four-fight contract – added: “I want to negotiate what I’m worth. I want to put my analytics forward, man-to-man, and be like, ‘This is what I’m owed now. Pay me.’”
All recent talk has been about a possible cross-codes clash with Mayweather, although both sides seem stuck either side of the UFC problems, which will need to be cleared up before any deal can be done.
