Conor McGregor wasted no time in shifting his focus to the next major MMA event following UFC 314, despite his personal loss of $500,000 betting on Michael Chandler to knockout Paddy Pimblett. The fight, which took place on Saturday night in Miami, saw Pimblett turn the tables in a stunning fashion, dominating Chandler and earning a third-round stoppage win. McGregor’s bet on Chandler ended up being one of the many surprising elements of the night, but McGregor didn’t dwell on the loss for long.
The day after UFC 314, McGregor quickly pivoted to the next big pay-per-view event on his radar: UFC 315. The event, scheduled for May 10 at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, will feature welterweight champion Belal Muhammad defending his title against the rising star Jack Della Maddalena in the main event. As always, McGregor’s eye for the spotlight meant that his attention was immediately directed towards UFC 315, despite the fact that UFC 314 had just concluded.
McGregor, known for his brash and unapologetic persona, didn’t just focus on the fighters involved in the upcoming title fight. He also took a moment to bring attention to a recent incident involving Belal Muhammad that had him laughing. Back in December, at UFC 310, Shavkat Rakhmonov solidified his position as one of the top contenders in the 170-pound division by defeating Ian Garry. While this was happening, Muhammad was seated cageside, and after the fight, he made his way into the octagon to face off with the undefeated Rakhmonov.
However, Muhammad’s attempt to engage with Rakhmonov was met with an unexpected and somewhat embarrassing roadblock. Security at the event didn’t recognize the welterweight champion and initially stopped him from entering the Octagon. For McGregor, this moment was too good to pass up, and he shared a voice note on social media, laughing at the situation and taking shots at Muhammad. “The security doesn’t know he’s the champ,” McGregor chuckled in the voice note. “Look at the state of this c—. The security doesn’t know he’s the champ? I’m not surprised, motherf—–, he is an a–hole that thing.”
McGregor’s post quickly gained traction, with fans and media alike reacting to the amusing situation. It was typical McGregor, using the platform to call attention to an incident while also poking fun at a fellow fighter. However, the back-and-forth between McGregor and Muhammad is just another chapter in the Irishman’s continued ability to stir the pot in the MMA community, even when it’s unrelated to his own fights. McGregor, who has been a polarizing figure in the sport for years, seems to have found new targets to mock, all while keeping his name in the headlines.
As UFC 315 draws closer, McGregor’s focus on the event and the fighters involved continues to build intrigue. Muhammad, who will look to defend his welterweight title against Della Maddalena, will be under pressure to prove himself once again. The bout is shaping up to be a significant moment in the welterweight division, and McGregor’s comments are just one example of how the buildup to the fight is already garnering attention.
For McGregor, the attention on UFC 315 is a way to stay relevant in the MMA conversation, even though his own fight future remains uncertain. After a long period of inactivity due to injury and personal issues, McGregor has been making his presence known both inside and outside the cage, using social media to make waves. Whether or not he steps into the Octagon soon remains to be seen, but McGregor’s constant media presence ensures that he is never far from the public eye.
While McGregor’s comments about Muhammad and the security incident may have been in jest, they also speak to the larger dynamic in the MMA world, where rivalries and tensions are part of the culture. As UFC 315 approaches, the fighters and fans alike will be waiting to see how Muhammad and Della Maddalena perform in the main event, while McGregor’s antics continue to provide entertainment and controversy in equal measure.
Regardless of what happens at UFC 315, McGregor has once again shown that he knows how to keep people talking. Whether it’s through his own fights, his betting losses, or his mockery of fellow fighters, McGregor’s presence in the MMA world remains as prominent as ever. Fans will be eagerly watching to see if he can translate his talk into action inside the cage once more, but for now, he’s content to stir up drama and get everyone talking about the next big event in the UFC.
