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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief
Saturday's UFC on Fuel TV 9 event provided UFC fans with their first glimpse of top Irish prospect Conor McGregor, and it didn't disappoint. In the biggest spot of his career to date, McGregor looked calm and comfortable, scoring a first round stoppage of Marcus Brimage while barely breaking a sweat.
The performance not only put McGregor on the radar of UFC fans, it also brought about a financial windfall in the form of a $60,000 "Knockout of the Night" bonus. That more than anything is something McGregor's now going to have to learn to live with, and he explained at the post fight press conference just how different that money is for him.
"Just last week I was collecting the social welfare," McGregor said at the post fight press conference (via MMAJunkie.com). "I was in there saying to them, 'I don't know what's going to happen. I'm signed to the UFC. I don't know. Blah, blah, blah.' Now I supposed I'm just going to have to tell them, 'F*** off!' … To be honest, I don't know what's going on here. I'm just up here hearing $60,000. I'm just thinking of what I'm going to spend it on. Maybe a nice car and some suits or something, some custom-made suits. I don't know.
"I don't have f***ing money. I didn't have money before this. I was collecting €188 a week off the social welfare. Now here I am with like $60,000 bonus and my own pay. I don't know what the f*** is going on to be honest."
While that will be a new learning experience for McGregor, he's feeling more than ready to get back into action for the UFC. While UFC President Dana White hinted that McGregor could make his way to the UFC's first show on Fox Sports 1 in Boston, McGregor isn't concerned with anything more than getting a call with a booking from the organization.
"I'll go either 145 or 155 lbs. – whatever's available," McGregor said in regards to his next fight. "I stay ready so I don't have to get ready, you know? So whatever's there, I'll take. I need a couple more weeks for featherweight, of course, but I'll take lightweight, as well, no problem.
"I've just got to keep busy. Competition keeps me focused. Anytime I don't have competition ahead of me, I just seem to drift. So I want to be kept busy, and that's it. Whatever, wherever and whenever."
Penick's Analysis: McGregor's a refreshing new face in the UFC's featherweight division, and the performance he had on Saturday was fantastic. He calmly picked apart Brimage before demolishing him with a series of uppercuts. It was great to watch, and really allowed him to announce himself as a legitimate force right now. We'll see how effective he'll be if he does hop around weight classes, but featherweight seems like a good fight, and hopefully we see him against some good competition as he continues progressing in the UFC.
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Jamie Penick, editor-in-chief
(mmatorcheditor@gmail.com)
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Frank Hyden - Rich Hansen
Chris Park - Matt Pelkey
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