Conor McGregor wants to fight in Dublin in 2016, even if it isn’t the Croke Park event everyone’s been hoping for.
After his historic lightweight title fight against Rafael dos Anjos at UFC 196, The Notorious is eyeing up a return to his home country.
McGregor hasn’t fought in Dublin since he headlined UFC Dublin in 2014, but it seems as though he has grown weary of constantly fighting in Sin City. The fight against RDA will be his third fight in a row to be held in Las Vegas and the Notorious is hoping for a change of scenery soon, as he explained to Severe MMA.
“F**k Vegas. F**k Vegas serious. I want East Coast next. If they don’t give me Ireland, give me East Coast next. I’ll go back to Boston, I know they’re lobbying for New York, we had a great time when we went to Boston and the East Coast, it’s not as far, it’s a five hour flight.”
With Ronda Rousey and Jon Jones having extended periods away from the sport, McGregor has filled that huge superstar void to become the poster boy of not just the UFC, but the entire sport of MMA.
Such heightened fame means there are few venues in Ireland big enough to stage a UFC event with McGregor as the headliner.
Many feel Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium would be ideal, but there are the obvious difficulties that come with trying to hold an indoor sport in an outdoor venue, particularly with the famed “changeable Irish weather”. However, McGregor feels a return to the 3Arena could definitely be on the cards.
“I’ll go back to the O2 no problem or the 3Arena or the Point. I’ll go back there and fight, I don’t care if it’s nine or ten thousand (capacity). I haven’t outgrown that. I haven’t outgrown my home fucking town. I’m still fucking here. I show up here every fucking day. I’m still me.”
McGregor admitted that, as much as he’s grown weary of Vegas, it is the likely location of his next fight. He explained he has already committed to fighting at the massive UFC 200 event, which might well be his welterweight debut.
“Vegas this one, Vegas next one probably because I committed to UFC 200, I did commit to that, then East coast or Dublin.”
After a couple more shows stateside, McGregor confirmed that he will be pushing to make his fighting return to Ireland.
“I got my teammates on way back, we got some teammates on recently, Artem and that, let’s get the next generation on. It’s my fucking pleasure to keep bringing my people in with me here. Couple more West coast then East Coast, then Dublin. That’s it, then it’s Dublin all the fucking way, that’s what I’m thinking.”
