Conor McGregor Wants UFC In AT&T Stadium, Derrick Lewis On Net Gain, Nate Diaz
- Conor McGregor toured AT&T Stadium in Dallas this past weekend, the home of the Dallas Cowboys. Jerry Jones, owner of the NFL franchise, has talked in the past about putting on an event hosted by the UFC in the stadium, which has hosted boxing matches.
"It is a spectacle," McGregor said in a segment caught by NFL Films. "That Octagon has got to be in the center one day. I'm going to make it happen, especially now after being here and seeing it."
The stadium seats 80,000 with a max capacity of 105,000. The record was set at 105,121 in 2009 during an NFL game featuring the Cowboys. WrestleMania 32 was held there in 2016, along with the 2015 College Football Playoff championship game.
"I know it was rumored many times," McGregor told Jones of the UFC being held there. "We never got there, but now is the time."
- During a special media day event to promote UFC 230, Derrick Lewis was asked how financially valuable his win over Alexander Volkov was. Lewis will challenge Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title next month in New York City at Madison Square Garden.
"It's probably a million," Lewis said (thanks to MMA Fighting for the quotes). "It's probably more than I made this year already."
Lewis picked up $260,000 for his win at UFC 226, $300,000 at another UFC Fight Night card, and $320,000 for his win over Volkov. And while Lewis said after his recent win that he wasn't ready to challenge Cormier, he admits it was a fight he couldn't pass up.
"I probably don't deserve a shot more than Stipe (Miocic), but ain't no telling the next time I'm gonna get the opportunity," Lewis said, "so I gotta jump on it anyways."
- For now, UFC president Dana White isn't interested in putting Nate Diaz and Dustin Poirier back inside the Octagon when Poirier is healthy. In fact, White doesn't even want to discuss the future of Diaz at this point.
The two were scheduled for next month at UFC 230 before Poirier suffered a hip injury and was forced out. Diaz mentioned wanting to challenge Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title next.
On the heels of good news on Poirier's hip, I asked UFC president Dana White if Poirier/Diaz is a fight he'd want to re-book.
"I'm not interested in making a Diaz fight until Diaz is just absolutely dying to fight. When he's ready to fight he'll let us know."
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) October 19, 2018