At times, it seems that UFC star Conor McGregor is more known for his loud mouth than his fighting skills. He is certainly not a man to mince his words, and this was no different during his first gambling stream in partnership with Duelbits.
McGregor gambled through $1m during the 80-minute stream on Monday night. But, if you are more interested in what he said rather than the gambling, we have you covered. Here are the best bits from the Irishman’s Duelbits debut.
His thoughts on Usman and Topuria
Kamara “The Nigerian Nightmare” Usman has been vocal about his dislike of McGregor in the past. Asked about a potential fight with McGregor four years ago, Usman explained that he didn’t think McGregor stood much chance if he made the mistake of joining him in the cage. “It would not be fair,” Usman stated.
Topuria claimed he would become the highest paid athlete in the world
Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria is reigning UFC featherweight champion after securing the title in February. McGregor took issue with the fact that Topuria claimed he would become the highest paid athlete in the world by 2025. McGregor held that spot in 2021, and mocked Topuria for thinking he had the star power to do the same.
McGregor made clear what he thinks of both men during the stream:
No drinking allowed
McGregor is in the middle of a training camp for his UFC 303 fight with Michael Chandler. He made it clear during the stream that he is laser focused on getting in the ultimate shape for the fight. As a result, that means no drinking alcohol for ten weeks in the lead up to the fight on June 30 this year, a journey into which he is almost six weeks in.
clearly fighting desperately not to take a sip
In a particularly comedic part of the stream, McGregor held up a pint of his Forged Irish Stout – a product made by his Black Forge Inn business. He is clearly fighting desperately not to take a sip.
A possible O’Malley fight
Sean O’Malley is the current UFC Bantamweight Champion as of March this year and has made clear his desire for a fight with McGregor. Appearing on a podcast this month, he said that he would even move up from 135 pounds to 155 pounds to secure the fight. “First of all, it’s a huge payday,” O’Malley said. “Second of all, it’s Conor.”
teased a potential matchup with him in the future
McGregor, meanwhile, has criticised O’Malley in the past. But he took an opportunity in the stream to share his real feelings on the American. Confirming that he actually “likes” him, McGregor shared a story of O’Malley and teased a potential matchup with him in the future.
Kicking Volkanovski’s head off
A fight between McGregor and former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has been in the cards for a long time, with the pair consistently squaring up on social media. The beef goes back years, with McGrgeor once warning Volkanovski that he would kick his head off “like it was a rugby ball.”
If you want to face me, let’s make it happen.”
Volkanovski fired back in a 2023 interview, arguing that he is the one putting his money where his mouth is. “Back your words up,” he told McGregor. “If you want to face me, let’s make it happen.”
When someone asked him his thoughts on Volkanovski during the livestream, McGregor didn’t hold any punches.
Allegations against Khabib
McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov set the UFC world alight in 2018 when they battled it out for the UFC lightweight title. Khabib left that bout with his undefeated record still intact as he forced McGregor to tap out with a chokehold. The pair certainly didn’t seem to settle their grievances in the cage, however, with a post-fight brawl breaking out between the two fighters and their teams.
he thinks Khabib is getting exactly what he deserves
Now, Khabib is in trouble in his native Russia. He has reportedly been ordered to pay the Russian tax collection agency a sum equivalent to $3.3m due to inconsistencies found in his business expenses. In his stream, McGregor made clear that he thinks Khabib is getting exactly what he deserves.
Exciting UFC 303 announcement
UFC 303 is right around the corner, featuring Michelle Waterson-Gomez vs Gillian Robertson, Joe Pyfer vs Marc-Andre Barriault, and of course the headline clash of McGregor vs Chandler. While UFC fans are waiting with baited breath for the night in question, its Irish star announced that there will be a “huge announcement” about the event: