The following quotes and video links are from tonight’s FOX SPORTS LIVE UFC FIGHT NIGHT: MCGREGOR VS. SIVER postfightcoverage on FOX SPORTS 1. The show was hosted by Jon Anik, with Daniel Cormier, Frankie Edgar and Gilbert Melendez as analysts.
UFC on FOX analyst Frankie Edgar on Conor McGregor beating Dennis Siver: “Siver just broke my heart, but McGregor looked sharp. Conor’s bringing excitement to the division. All of us need to thank him. I don’t want to thank him for taking my title shot, but he’s earned it.”
UFC on FOX analyst Daniel Cormier on McGregor’s victory: “McGregor did what he said he was going to do: he beat a tough veteran and he backed up his words. He was patient. He was landing the straight left hand and doing damage.”
UFC on FOX analyst Gilbert Melendez on what McGregor did to win the fight: “He used his reach to his advantage. He kept the distance the whole time. He had a variety of attacks and kept him guessing.”
Cormier on McGregor vs. Aldo: “If there’s a good match-up, this is two stand-up guys. Aldo’s not going to try to take him down over and over. These two are very high level, confident strikers.”
Edgar on what McGregor needs to work on before fighting Jose Aldo: “It’s tough to say. Aldo is a different animal. He has the speed and the length. But McGregor was able to get up quickly after taken down. Now we know about that.”
McGregor on not finishing Siver in two minutes: “With the amount of media I was doing, I got mixed up. I meant two rounds, not two minutes.”
McGregor on what he said to Jose Aldo: “Who are you calling a joke? I would have smacked him. I would have. But after Jones and Cormier got fined for their thing, I’m not giving away my money smacking him. I’ll save it for the Octagon.”
McGregor on where he’ll fight Jose Aldo: “I keep hearing Vegas. I’ll give it one last push for Ireland. Vegas is Vegas. I’ll get the belt. The vision’s a little off, but we’re doing the stadium sometime. I feel like I’ll break him. He looks small. He has the same body type as Diego Brandao. He feels small. Jose will be the same. He knows I’m coming for him. When the time comes I will shut him down.”
Melendez on Donald Cerrone vs. Benson Henderson: “It was a very tactical fight. Henderson was back to his old ways, scoring points. It was close fight. I gave it to Henderson. They [the judges] gave it to the Cowboy.
Edgar on Cerrone beating Henderson: “It looked like a Benson fight – a point fight. I agree with DC, why didn’t Henderson go for takedowns? When you fight close fights, you live by the sword and you die by the sword.”
Donald Cerrone on his victory vs. Benson Henderson “This is a hard victory for me to celebrate. I could tell we’re both very timid in there. It sucks. I’m friends with him. I love the dude, we grew up together. I needed to prepare for him and I didn’t. I need a better training camp for him.”
Cerrone on if he’ll take another fight in the next week: “I feel great. I’d take a fight again in Colorado. I wouldn’t go to Sweden. I’m the American Cowboy.”
UFC president Dana White on what he was thinking when McGregor jumped at Aldo: “I was thinking security was keeping him from talking to his family. That’s typical McGregor. He looked phenomenal. What he did to two top 10 fighters, he’s relaxed and picks them apart.”
White on McGregor’s appeal: “There were a lot of people from Ireland here. There were a lot of Brazilians here too. I’ve said it before. He’s a huge superstar. He’s got a great gift. Boy can he fight.”
White on what Aldo thinks about McGregor: “He wants this fight so bad. We wanted to get in the Octagon to do the interview, but he’s superstitious and won’t go into it unless it’s for a fight.”
White on where Aldo vs. McGregor will take place: “We have some time to work on this. A fight in Ireland would be huge. Las Vegas makes sense, too. Memorial Day weekend would make sense. There’re a lot of obstacles to doing a huge PPV in Ireland. We could sell out a stadium.”