McGregor lives up to hype with knockout

Saturday night’s Ultimate Fighting Championship card at the MGM Grand without question served as a sort of unofficial coming out party for the organization’s anointed future superstar, Conor McGregor.

The Irishman delivered on the hype and scored the type of performance in a first-round knockout of Dustin Poirier that might help land the 26-year-old in a featherweight title bout long before anyone but him expected.

If there were any doubts about McGregor’s eagerness to claim the spotlight, they were put to rest when he hosted his own post-news conference scrum interview with assembled reporters after UFC president Dana White declined to participate in what has become his tradition with the mixed martial arts media.

While McGregor is a new face on the scene, UFC 178 might have been even more important for two returning stars.

Dominick Cruz was spectacular in finishing Takeya Mizugaki in his first bout in nearly three years, and Cat Zingano recovered from early trouble to knock out Amanda Nunes after missing more than 16 months.

Both were awarded title shots by White for their efforts.

“Nobody does that to Mizugaki. Nobody,” White said of Cruz’s 61-second knockout. “(Cruz) didn’t lose his belt; I think he was just the unluckiest man on earth. He’s the guy.”

Cruz was stripped of his title in January when he pulled out of a unification bout with then-interim champion Renan Barao. White reluctantly took the belt because Cruz hadn’t defended it in more than two years because of two ACL surgeries. He had to pull out of the fight with Barao due to a torn groin, and UFC officials were forced to act.

Barao became the undisputed champion, only to lose that belt to T.J. Dillashaw earlier this year.

“The win for me tonight was really just about my own set of goals,” Cruz said. “I didn’t know what was going to happen. I didn’t know how I was going to feel after three years. I didn’t know what the lights were going to do. I just had to go in there and do it and it was big for me. I’m ready to be back and have that belt.”

Not only is Cruz the most deserving of a shot at the 135-pound belt, there is also a marketing angle to the fight.

Cruz is a longtime rival of Urijah Faber, who trains with Dillashaw at Team Alpha Male. Cruz said he was looking forward to beating up another of the “Alpha Fails.”

Zingano doesn’t have any animosity toward UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, but she will get a chance to fight her.

Rousey stood and applauded as Zingano spoke through tears following her win over Nunes. It was a long road back for Zingano, who tore her ACL in the summer of 2013 and then endured the suicide of her husband in January.

“I just needed to get through that first round and I was good,” Zingano said. “Let’s go, I’m ready. I have all the respect in the world for Ronda Rousey, but this is my time.”

White said Zingano’s performance, in which she survived an onslaught with her back on the mat early only to turn the tables, served notice she is still the most worthy candidate to take on Rousey.

“I think that’s the statement she wanted to make, and she made it loud and clear,” White said. “She’s been away for a while, she had some injuries, she’s dealing with some personal problems. She is back. I think the fans can see her, and she needed to remind everybody why she was in line for a title fight. She did it tonight.”

McGregor might have earned a shot by improving to 4-0 in the UFC. White urged caution, however, saying no decision has been made beyond the currently scheduled championship fight.

McGregor will fly to Brazil to watch Jose Aldo defend the 145-pound belt against Chad Mendes. If either of them is forced to pull out for any reason, McGregor said he will be ready to step in on the Oct. 25 card in Rio de Janeiro.

In the more likely event Aldo and Mendes actually fight, McGregor knows exactly what he wants. He believes he should fight the winner, and he doesn’t seem to care which one.

“I believe I will dismantle both of them,” McGregor said. “Chad is a 5-foot-6, overblown — he should be a 125 (pounder), but he’s gone past that limit now. Now he’s just a little small bodybuilder stuck in the 145-pound division, and he gets tired quick. He’s 5-foot-6 with a 65-inch reach. I have an 8-inch reach advantage on him. I tower over him. I would maul Chad.

“Jose is in this situation where he has got to a stage where he’s happy with his level. I feel he’s in that pattern of deterioration. Again, another easy win.”

Then again, McGregor doesn’t think there’s a difficult matchup for him anywhere in the weight class.

“The division seems to be full of rookies and has-beens,” McGregor said. “I’m just sitting here enjoying myself, collecting these checks on my way, eliminating each one.”

As long as he keeps fighting and talking like he did Satureday, he will get all the opportunities he wants.

Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.