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Conor McGregor is preparing for his return to action in 2022 and the fight he's most interested in is a welterweight title bout against current champ Kamaru Usman.
In a new interview with The Mac Life on the eve of UFC London, McGregor declared that he didn't see himself returning to lightweight. Beyond that, he saw Usman as an easy target for his comeback fight, the first since he broke his leg back in July of 2021. And while UFC president Dana White has been open to the idea of McGregor fighting for a lightweight title upon his return, he didn't sound too sure about a shot at the 170 pound belt.
Other fighters and UFC analysts have been critical about Conor McGregor getting an immediate title shot at all, regardless of weight class. Here's what McGregor had to say about the negative views:
"Yeah, enough is enough with the disrespect that comes my way, you know what I mean? People are going to give me my respect for the many facets of my game. My fighting style and everything else. I'm going to waltz back into a title shot, make no mistake about it. It's that or I won't, you know what I mean? It has to be a title shot, what else can it f**king be?"
McGregor softened up on that stance a moment later by saying:
"Now saying that, let's see how things shake up. There's plenty of fights. I'm a fighter at the end of the day. I'll say that but I'll probably f**king do anything because I just want to fight and compete. But I want that gold belt."
See Conor McGregor discuss his title aspirations with The Mac Life below:
Conor McGregor has been talking about a run at the welterweight title for years
McGregor's interest in fighting at 170 pounds is nothing new. McGregor fought Nate Diaz twice at welterweight and most recently beat Donald Cerrone in that weight class in January of 2020. Leading into that fight, it looked like we might see Conor McGregor stay at 170 instead of dropping back down to lightweight. A week out from the Cerrone fight, McGregor told The Mac Life:
“I’m not going to 170 just for Jorge [Masvidal]. I liked the look of that welterweight bout, the welterweight title fight.I like the look of Kamaru Usman, I like the look of Colby. I’m open to it all at 170.”
Watch McGregor talk about fighting for the welterweight title back in 2020:
