Croke Park or Aviva Stadium awaiting
Wednesday 21 January 2015 11:36, UK
'Notorious' Conor McGregor says his world championship fight at a stadium in Dublin is "one contract signature away".
The brash Irishman is likely to challenge for Jose Aldo's featherweight championship at either Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium - a possible 80,000 attendance would break UFC records.
But McGregor first leads his countrymen into battle in Boston, Massachusetts this weekend - an American city with the Blarney Stone at its heart and an overwhelming Irish population with thousands more arriving from the old country for fight night.
The Dubliner has taken the UFC by storm with his gift of the gab and innovative style - beating Dennis Siver this weekend may set up a world title fight on Irish soil.
McGregor said: "It’s a done deal, it’s one contract signature away. That signature will be mine. Jose will do as he is told, he will have no option. He will be forced into my country.
"The UFC understand that the biggest fight in history is waiting for me around the corner. When a guy like me comes along with the number of people that I bring with me, everyone else has to step aside.
"I’m stepping up to the next level in Boston. There are hard-working, blue-collar people here and they inspire me – it’s a big arena full of Irish people who will blow the roof off the place.
The UFC understand that the biggest fight in history is waiting for me around the corner. When a guy like me comes along with the number of people that I bring with me, everyone else has to step aside.
"The promotion for this fight is 99 percent me because it reflects the fight which will be 99 percent me. He will have one percent of the fight and that will be his entrance. It is me carrying this fight, the UFC and Dennis are aware of it, and I am aware of it.
"Dennis will not escape the first two minutes. I feel that in the opening frame the shot that I need to put him away could happen four or five times. Two minutes is plenty of time. I visualise a few shots presenting themselves, it depends which one he can take.
"I feel like a veteran now. I have found comfort in this circus. I find comfort in the uncomfortable. My goal is to be the best version of myself that is possible – and the best version is the greatest fighter of all time. That is my goal."
The Boston-born Leinsterman's tweet may have revealed secrets about fighting WWE crossover star CM Punk...
Pendred said: "Maybe something was said in my ear by the UFC and I thought I was allowed to talk about it, but I wasn’t. I’ve been told to stay tight-lipped about that and stay out of trouble. I’m not allowed to announce UFC plans until they do. But I think fighting CM Punk in front of 90,000 fans in Dublin while Conor McGregor wins the world title in the main-event would be a good idea...
"This is a special moment for me, I’ve always wanted to go back to Boston and I never have. I remember being devastated when my mother decided we were moving to Dublin. I’ve not been back since leaving in 1991 and now I’ll return as a fighter – it’s something out of the movies.
"Our country hasn’t known about MMA for a long time, it’s a new sport, but they’ve become educated and seen it’s the purest form of combat competition. Irish people have always proudly supported its athletes and we’ve captured their imagination. Our hotel will be swarmed by fans."
There’s a great spirit in Irish people, an unbreakable spirit. You could be a man with nothing in your pocket but you’d be sat at a bar with a smile on your face, telling stories and drinking.
A fan at heart, the Dubliner believes Irishmen's mentality is tailor-made for fight sports.
Holohan said: "There’s a great spirit in Irish people, an unbreakable spirit. You could be a man with nothing in your pocket but you’d be sat at a bar with a smile on your face, telling stories and drinking. We’re indestructible. You’ll never beat the Irish – you might win on the day but you’ll never stop us.
"I’ve met plenty of Irish fans and told them that I’m a fan myself – I just get to go a step further and fight myself. After my fight I’ll be in the crowd as one of them again. When I get to wear the green jersey myself it’s even better.
"Boston is not my country but it will feel like it. We’ll trickle into the town, we wouldn’t want to turn up together and scare everyone. Easy does it, one at a time!"
A lone Ulsterman heading Stateside, the Bushmills lightweight wouldn't mind an all-Irish scrap in the future.
Parke said: "Fighting Conor McGregor is something people would always talk about – they said I dodged him in the past but that’s not true. "The Irish people would love a northern fighter against a southern fighter but there’s obviously two sides to that.
"Irish people, north and south, always back our own. I get a great reception in Dublin and Boston will be no different. The Irish fans get after it, I can tell you, and they love anything to do with fighting sports.
"People probably looked over and said ‘they’ll never be any great fighters coming from there’ but we’re taking over now."
