McGregor responds to Aldo's provocation: 'I'm not the jester, I'm the king of Rio'

McGregor (photo) provokes with his feet on the table at a press conference in Rio. Photo: Reproduction

Conor McGregor again caused controversy on another day of his visit to Rio de Janeiro (RJ) to promote the fight he will have against José Aldo in July, valid for the UFC featherweight belt. In a press conference held at the Maracanãzinho gymnasium, the Irishman exuded confidence and fired provocations, despite the presence of his rival and the numerous boos from the public present.

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Right from the start, McGregor already showed that he was willing to face the hostile crowd in Rio de Janeiro head on. To loud boos, the Irishman entered the venue wearing his usual suit and sunglasses, responding to the hostilities with kisses and waves to the audience.

Then, he put his feet on the table and teased: “This is my city. Rio is mine. I have my feet on the table, and what are you going to do about it? Royalty is in my blood, so I'm not the jester. I am the king. If it were different times, I would take over the favelas on horseback and turn it into something of my own. Now, the times are different, so I’m going to beat him in July,” said McGregor.

The Irishman responded to criticism from those who believe he will fight for the belt without having even faced a top fighter in the category, such as Chad Mendes or Ricardo Lamas. “They all suck, in my opinion. Mendes is short. If I put my hand on his forehead, he wouldn't be able to hit me, and he hit Aldo a lot. I don't care about the criticism. Now, I’m going to face José and I’m going to take his belt” he countered.

Asked how he was going to defend himself against Aldo's powerful low kicks, McGregor maintained a provocative tone. “I have the long version and the short version to answer this. I'm left-handed and I judge distance very, very well. Your kicks will be ineffective. In an old fight, I already defended a kick like that and the guy broke his leg. But the short version is: I'm going to punch him in the face and break his nose.”

McGregor also criticized Aldo for not finishing his fights inside the octagon. “As far as I know, he stalls fights. He doesn't submit anyone. He only finished one fight in a real way, and I, four. These are the facts. When he gets it right, the fight continues. With me, they fall. And that's what will happen. He'll have 25 minutes to hide his chin from me. And that won't happen. I’ll hit him and he’ll go down,” he proved.

The Irishman felt the crowd's fury again when the questions were opened to the fans. Just like in his previous visit to Brazil, McGregor heard a series of provocations and insults, which caused UFC president, Dana White, to cut off the audience's microphone. McGregor, however, responded with kisses and laughter.

the fight between José Aldo e Conor McGregor will be the main attraction of UFC 189, which will be held in the city of Las Vegas (USA).

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