Conor McGregor Doesn’t Want to Vacate Belt After UFC 205: ‘Why Not Defend Them Both?’

Although UFC President Dana White recently said that Conor McGregor will vacate either the lightweight or featherweight title should he beat Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205, the “Notorious” one has other ideas.

“Vacate? I don’t know. We’ll see about that,” McGregor said during a media call on Thursday. “Why not defend them both?”

McGregor seems annoyed with questions about his future, whether they be regarding weight class decisions or his recent comments about refusing to fight in Las Vegas. The SBG Ireland representative would prefer to focus on the UFC 205 main event and soak in everything that comes with the promotion’s first-ever trip to the Empire State.

“Everyone always looks ahead, talking about, ‘Vacate the belt. Let’s talk Vegas.’ Let’s enjoy this moment right now, because it took so long to get here,” he said. “So many hours went into getting the UFC into New York, and now here we are. Now here we are with a potential two-weight world champion. These are all historic moments and everybody is talking about after. ‘We’ve got to take that belt off him. We’ve got to get back to Vegas.’

“Let’s just enjoy this historic moment for what it is. I’m looking to enjoy this whole experience, and I’m very confident in my preparation and the opponent that I’m facing.” 

McGregor captured the featherweight crown with a 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo at UFC 194 last December. Some in the the division, most notably Aldo, have grown impatient as the Irishman spent 2016 pursuing a pair of welterweight bouts against Nate Diaz before seeking 155-pound gold against Alvarez. In McGregor’s mind, it hasn’t been all that long since he vanquished Aldo.  

While McGregor admits that he feels better at lightweight, he is confident that he can return to 145 pounds since he has already proven he can do so on multiple occasions during his UFC tenure.

“Wherever I choose to go I’m prepared to go there. I feel great at this weight,” he said. “I’m a lot leaner. I’m still eating a hell of a lot of food…I think it’s crazy the way they say I can’t get to featherweight no more. All these crazy things, like I ain’t the undisputed champion. Like I ain’t gone and taken out the whole division. It’s only December of last year that was. That’s not even a year ago.

“Then they’re talking about stripping, vacating. What did I just go and do there? Did I not go and take out the division? Am I not the champion there? Whatever I sign and fight, you best believe I’m gonna show up and be prepared. [At] 145 I’m the world champion. I’m damn good at 145 and I’m even better at 155. So wherever.”