McGregor says media obligations still an issue with UFC
The fallout from Conor McGregor's spat with the UFC continues to haunt him.
McGregor and his employers have patched things up enough for "Notorious" to get his rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202 in August, but mending the relationship completely is a lengthy process.
Answering questions at an event to promote coach John Kavangh's autobiography, McGregor addressed the disagreement over his media responsibilities that cost him a headlining spot at UFC 200.
"We're still back and forth with media obligations," McGregor said, according to Marc Raimondi of MMA Fighting. "It's going on right to this second. It's never-ending. They want to pull you left and right."
McGregor chose not to attend a press conference in Las Vegas this past April to promote the second Diaz fight, a decision that prompted the UFC to remove him from the card entirely.
The explanation McGregor offered was that he wanted less distractions and more time to train if he was going to avenge his loss.
"I think some people don't understand how taxing that is, especially coming after a loss like that where I really truly need to look out for me and get myself right and come out the way I need to feel," McGregor said. "I can't fatigue like that and live with myself after that.
"Seeing the way the last fight happened, I can't live with it. I need to isolate myself and just get my work in and come back and get my revenge. And that's what I'm doing."
Misunderstood or not, McGregor is beginning to understand how easily his reactions can be blown out of proportion in the public eye. His dispute with the UFC was brought to light by a cryptic tweet teasing an early retirement, that was soon retweeted over a 160,000 times.
"When you see it going all over the place, I'm like, 'Oh s---,'" McGregor said. "Now it's hit the fan. It was a semi-joke in it. It was kind of a negotiating tactic, going back and forth with the UFC. And then it's on CNN."
McGregor's next major appearance for the UFC is a press conference in Las Vegas on July 7 to kick off "International Fight Week."