Conor McGregor Willing to Give Up a Belt, No Army Required
After much chatter in the media, featherweight champion Conor McGregor has stated that he is willing to give up one of his two UFC titles… just let him win the second belt first!
As soon as it was announced that McGregor would challenge UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez for his belt at UFC 205 in New York, company president Dana White declared that the Irishman's opportunity to make history came with a stipulation.
If McGregor defeats Alvarez on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden, he will become the first fighter in UFC history to hold championships in two weight categories simultaneously. BJ Penn and Randy Couture have each won belts in two divisions, but neither held both at the same time. McGregor would be the first.
If he does so, White declared that McGregor would have to immediately relinquish one of the belts.
TRENDING > Georges St-Pierre Felt Insulted by New UFC Owners
“He wants to try to gain both belts,” White said on ESPN’s SportsCenter. “He will give up one of the titles after that fight in New York.”
McGregor initially, in no uncertain terms, said that he wouldn't be giving up either belt.
“I’m gonna wrap one on one shoulder and I’m gonna wrap the other one on the other shoulder, and they’re gonna need a (expletive) army to come take them belts off me,” he said at the UFC 205 Kickoff Press Conference at Madison Square Garden in September.
In a recent interview with Sports Illustrated, however, McGregor softened his stance a bit. He would be willing to give up a belt if that is what's best for business, but he'd appreciate it if everyone would let him actually achieve his goal before putting so much attention on relinquishing a championship.
“Let me see the pictures on publications with a belt on each shoulder first,” McGregor said. “Let me go onto the side of that Octagon and raise two world titles, what’s never been done before, before talking about stripping me. Let me get the (expletive) things, let me do it.
“I’ll always listen to the correct business move and I’ll always do what is the correct move, but let me do it and let me go back and look at some pictures of me with two belts and let me embrace it for half-a-day.
“Don’t be trying to take away the historic moment before I’ve even experienced it.”
