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Conor McGregor Was Told He Wouldn’t Fight Again After His First MMA Match

Conor McGregor Was Told He Wouldn’t Fight Again After His First MMA Match

He's one of the biggest names in the sport now but it could have been very different for McGregor

Claire Reid

Claire Reid

Conor McGregor is gearing up to take on Dustin Poirier this weekend, but despite being one of the biggest names in MMA it was very nearly over before it began for the fighter.

McGregor was just 20 when he made his MMA debut in a match against Ciaran Campbell, which he won.

PA

Speaking about his first fight in the Notorious documentary, McGregor said: "I'd literally only been training a week in MMA, I didn't even have a pair of shorts.

"I caught him with some heavy shots and there I was dancing, thinking, 'F*** this, this is what I'm gonna do for the rest of my time'.

"And when I went back to the gym the next day, John pulled me into a room and brought me upstairs. There was a little office there and he says, 'You won't be fighting again if you ever go on like that. The guy's hurt and you're running around screaming and bouncing around - we don't go on like that'.

"I took it on board for one fight!"

McGregor is set to face Poirier at UFC 264 tonight and it seems as though he's more than ready for the bout with the pair almost coming to blows at a press conference to promote the fight.

The two men stood face-to-face on stage at the T-Mobile Arena, with UFC President Dana White separating the two.

While the pair posed for some photos, McGregor couldn't resist trying to start something and was trying to kick Poirier.

Speaking during the press conference, McGregor said: "I'm going to dance on your head.

PA

"I'm gonna go through his head, put holes in him and take it off his shoulders, that's the goal. He's done here. This is it for him. This is the end of the road for him.

"Saturday night he's getting walked around that octagon like a dog and put to sleep."

Dana White seemingly enjoyed the wild antics and reckons Conor will be hungry for the win to restore his reputation.

"He's got the money. When you think about it, I'm a huge Rocky fan. This feels like Rocky 3. When you get off a 310-foot yacht, you know what I mean? You're living that good life," White said.

"It's tough to be a savage when you're living like he lives and has the money like he has.

"On his way up, he was a young, hungry kid, and he didn't have any money and he wanted nice things.

"He wanted nice suits, nice cars, nice houses. He has everything he ever wanted. I don't know. It goes this way or that way."

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: SPORT, UFC