Conor McGregor started his post-fight press conference by thanking the UFC, his family and the support he has received from his team over the last year on his rise to the top. He also congratulated the UFC on the event, which is set to break records, and the "$10,1 million dollar gate".
McGregor, earlier in the week, had explained exactly how the fight would go and what he said was read back to him by a journalist in the crowd.
McGregor had said he could see Aldo's right hand twitching at the weigh-in and knew that he had it locked and loaded and ready to go. The Dubliner had predicted that Aldo would walk straight into one of his left hooks and that is exactly what happened.
In relation to his uncanny ability to see these things, McGregor said "If you can see it here [pointing to his head], and you have enough courage to speak it...it will happen."
"I see these shots, I see these sequences and I believe in them. I knew he would overextend and I knew I'd catch him so Mystic Mac strikes again," he continued.
"I would have preferred if it stretched out just a little bit longer for all that it has been through but I still feel the same process would have happened. Timing beats speed, precision beats power."
McGregor had told the world that he would finish Aldo early but most, if not all, of the journalists and spectators watching did not expect such a quick fight. McGregor, on the other hand, said it is not unprecedented, "It's not the first time I've done that. I have a four second KO on my resume, now I have a 13 second KO, I also have a 16 second, I have many early stoppage wins. I feel I have the shots, and I have the timing and I have the precision. Again, with these small gloves and with the correct amount of force and the correct amount of timing, the human chin can't take it. I said one round, he was the pound-for-pound number one fighter on the roster, undefeated in 10 fights, and the company's only featherweight champion. Who comes in a predicts one round KO's? I did, and I did.
On the cut
There was concern that McGregor looked gaunt at the weight-in and it was mentioned at the press conference but he paid no heed to such concern and said, "I giggle all the time because every time I step on the scales and I step off the scales, everyone is like, 'that's the worst I've ever seen him, he better rehydrate correctly.'"
He continued, "Don't get me wrong, it's a tough weight cut but show me one time I've missed it, show me one time I've not shown up the next day fresh. Everyone up there on that stage who makes weight is not in the freshest of states. This is the business. Is it easy? No, but I get it done like a professional."
McGregor's future plans
McGregor was asked if he would fight Aldo again or move up a weight and compete at lightweight straight away, he replied, "I am the unified World Champion. This is my division and I say what I do now so maybe I feel there's a couple of contenders in the mix. Let them, maybe, compete against each other while I go up and take the lightweight belt and wait for a contender to emerge and come back down and take out that contender."
The Dubliner has plans to spend Christmas at home relaxing, though, "I'm looking forward to building a Christmas tree with my girlfriend, spending some time with my family, eating some good, good food and let the plan form. I'll keep my ear to the ground and see what people are interested in most and make a decision then."
The best fighter in the UFC?
McGregor thinks so. "I believe so, I believe there are many great fighters. There are many people who do great things but when you combine it all together, when you combine the whole package, the whole animal that is the fight game, I don't think there's anyone who does it better than me. I think I am the pound for pound number one."
He continued to say there was no chance he was vacating his belt, regardless of his decision, when he does eventually make one, "I'll tell you one thing that won't be happening. If I got up to that lightweight division there is no way in hell that I am vacating my belt. That is not happening. There will be a belt on one shoulder and a belt on the other shoulder. I understand why previously they would have fighters who would do that because many fighters don't fight as frequently as I do."
And the reason why, McGregor says, is because, "I'm busy, I stay active, I'm fresh. There's no going up and vacating."
The fans and Jose Aldo
McGregor paid special tribute to the fans that traveled to Las Vegas to watch him fight and how the country had reacted to his rise to prominence, "The Irish fans, you can't beat them and we are making this sport what it is today and to give my country men and women these occasions that they will remember forever and the fact that they are doing us proud out here and the whole world, the eyes are on the Irish right now and the whole world is looking at our country. I'm very, very proud of that and very, very grateful."
Given how long the entire specatacle had dragged out and the fact that Aldo had been undefeated over the course of a decade, McGregor admitted there was a moment when he considered his opponents' feelings, "I had a little moment where I felt sorry for Jose, it's been a long road and I appreciate that he showed up here and made the journey out here because I have no doubt that there were options to pull like the last time and this time he stuck around. Winners focus on winning and loser focus on winners and that's what their whole camp have been doing this whole time, they've been focusing on me and what I've been doing and what I've been saying but I've also been focusing on me."
Fighting McGregor and the build-up to his fights have become as difficult as the actual fight and the Dubliner recognises this, "It's not the same when you sign up to fight me. There's a whole other ballgame. It's a completely different pressure bubble you're under. He felt that - a guy who has been at the top for so long."
And on talk of a fight in Dublin and whether he can start demanding these kinds of things? McGregor says, "Maybe I can, but like I said I'm going to sit back in the shadows over Christmas and plot and I'll come back in the New Year with something for you all."
There has been speculation that Conor McGregor is pushing Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta for the kind of contract that has never been seen in the UFC. McGregor constantly reminded anyone who was listening that the numbers don't lie and that he has plenty of power when it comes to deciding what he does next. If White and Fertitta want to keep McGregor busy and bringing in record-setting gates they might want to consider breaking the bank for the bona-fide star of the sport.
As McGregor says, "I'm bringing in the numbers and the sky's the limit."
Download the brand new OffTheBall App in the Play Store & App Store right now! We've got you covered!
Subscribe to OffTheBall's YouTube channel for more videos, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for the latest sporting news and content.
