Conor McGregor addresses use of gay slur; reveals plans for next fight
Conor McGregor found himself in a bit of hot water after being captured on camera using a gay slur during a conversation with teammate Artem Lobov after his loss to Andre Fili at UFC Fight Night 118. The current UFC lightweight champion addressed the use of the slur during an appearance on the Irish television show “The Late Late Show.”
“I witnessed (Lobov) lose a fight in a potential career-defining or a career-ending fight in a manner where the opponent was stalling and running away, and I was upset,” McGregor said. “I was whispering in his ear, and I was speaking on that, and I said what I said. I meant no disrespect to nobody, to anybody in the LGBT community.”
McGregor was an advocate for gay rights and campaigned for the legalization of gay marriage in Ireland, which made his use of the slur all the more surprising. But McGregor realized the error in his ways and wanted to assure everyone that he didn’t mean any harm by the comments.
“I was campaigning for (gay marriage),” McGregor said. “It’s another one where things just get blown out. Any chance they get, they love to throw me under the bus. I just have to say sorry for what I said and try and move on from it.”
Hopefully, McGregor realizes the error in his ways and will be more careful with his words.
As for his fighting future, the Irishman revealed in a different interview with Ireland’s entertainment.ie that his next move may be to defend the lightweight title he won last year against interim champion, Tony Ferguson.
“I’ve got everyone clawing at me, trying to get at me, and that’s from multiple sports, multiple organizations, multiple everything,” McGregor said. “It’s been like that for a long, long time, I feel, so it’s just another day for me. I know there are many contenders in the UFC. There are many boxing contenders as well. What interests me is certainly a UFC bout, certainly a defense of my lightweight title. There is a fighter with the interim lightweight belt. I feel that will be next. We’ll see how negotiations go.”
He also cited a possible third fight with Nate Diaz as well as the possibility of getting a boxer in the Octagon. There is also some interest in stepping back into the ring to compete as a boxer again. But, for now, it appears that McGregor has his sights set on Ferguson.
