Conor McGregor took a pot-shot at both featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and newly crowned lightweight titleholder Islam Makhachev after Saturday’s UFC 280 event.
“My two old belts,” McGregor stated alongside a photo of Volkanovski and Makhachev after UFC 280, with the two now expected to fight next. “On two little ticks. This fight does 10 buys.”
Volkanovski responded by stating that, “A former wise man once wrote…” before posting an old quote from McGregor himself that reads, “Winners focus on winning. Losers focus on winners.”
McGregor then backed down and adopted a more respectful tone in his reply.
“Just watching and monitoring mate,” McGregor wrote. “That’s all. Happy for you in the spot tbh. I’ll be back. This is not over. You know.”
“Respect brother. Will be happy to welcome you back,” Volkanovski replied.
McGregor then went on to offers Volkanovski some advice for his step-up to lightweight in order to battle Makhachev for the 155lb title.
“And we dance on. Good. I was in your exact spot one time don’t forget. 145 coming up. Good luck,” McGregor told Volkanovski. “I’d say go heavier. Rugby days. Be a bowling ball. That’s how I’d do it as you. Your condition right now as I see it, I don’t know. But bowling ball style for you for best chance.”
Meanwhile, in a separate post on Twitter, McGregor also hinted at his own eventual comeback to the Octagon after he’s finished with filming the ‘Road House’ movie remake.
“I’m feeling crazy confident,” McGregor wrote. “Calm. Disattached from emotion. Aware of what I must do and making it happen. Visualizing. I see it all. Clear.
“This movie wraps, I’m back. I’ll have multiple fights completed by the time this movie even releases.”
Despite those claims, Dana White confirmed at the weekend that McGregor is actually not in USADA’s testing pool at the moment.
That’s significant as all fighters who wish to compete in the UFC must be available for at least six months before they are eligible to fight, so even if he suddenly decided he wanted to fight, it’d still be well into next year before it could actually become a reality.
