Conor McGregor has revealed he doesn’t intend to give up fighting until he is ‘going down into the ground’.
The UFC star is awaiting his comeback after nearly three years out of the octagon, and it is looking increasingly likely that he will finally take on Michael Chandler in his comeback fight later this year.
He hasn’t competed since breaking his leg in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier, but has nonetheless been involved in a number of verbals involving various fellow stars.
Many had wondered if the Irishman would call it a day due to the nature of his injury and length of absence away from the cage, but that now seems further away than ever.
Speaking to TNT Sports, McGregor revealed he never intends to give up fighting – on one condition.
Conor McGregor has claimed he will never give up fighting as long as one condition is met
The Irishman is set to make his MMA return later this year when he takes on Michael Chandler (right)
He has not fought in nearly three years after breaking his leg in his trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in June 2021
‘Look at Mike Tyson now, he’s fighting Jake Paul, and he fought Roy Jones also,’ McGregor began. ‘There you go, that’s an older guy. Roy Jones also an aged guy, retired for so long, why?
‘Recalibrate your competition. There is a reason in jujutsu there is the veterans division. I don’t really feel I could ever call it a day until I am laid out flat in a box and going down into the ground. That’s when I will call it a day.
‘Something that really struck me with Mike Tyson was, he was asked in an interview around the time of the Roy Jones Jnr fight, what do you think Cus D’Amato would say to you after all these years, why come back now? And he said, “Cus would say, what took you so long?” And that really hit me.’
‘Look at all of my potential opponents, I have gangs of opponents I could fight that I have history with, trilogies, secondary fights, fresh fights even. They are all similar age to me. So, if I have an audience interest, which I do, who is to say they won’t take place whenever? It’s to the grave.’
There has been an increase in exhibition fights in recent years, with the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Logan Paul and Tyson taking part in bouts.
35-year-old McGregor may be heading that way too, with professional retirement likely not too far away.
‘It’s almost like people get weighted down with the pressure of life, uncertainty,’ he continued. ‘You see a lot of people in their post fight, it’s like a weight of something on top of them and it takes them right out of the game.
‘I’m aware that that is present, that feeling and thing, whatever it is, but I’m also aware that rest, recuperation, recalibration… I’m not going to be 40-odd and looking at the 19-year-old wonderkid from wherever he is from, even though they might be calling me out.’
McGregor used Mike Tyson (pictured) as a reference for potential exhibition bouts in the future
Chandler, meanwhile, has said that his fight against McGregor will take place ‘definitely in the summer’
Chandler, meanwhile, confirmed to TMZ that both fighters and the UFC have agreed to make the fight happen this year.
‘I’ve got the official announcement,’ he said. ‘It’s happening this summer.
‘The official status is we have an agreement, we’re fighting this summer. We’ll let the court of public opinion speculate on what the date is, but it’s definitely this summer. We’re giving you a window that we’re gonna be fighting in.’
