UFC's Conor McGregor Faces Death Chants In Brazil, Taunts Crowd

McGregor defiant in front of hostile UFC 179 Q&A appearance crowd

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vwdg_5EyXK4 Conor McGregor does not have a fight at UFC 179. He has no bout lined up with anyone in, or from, Brazil. In fact, his next fight will comes thousands of miles away, as he headlines a card in Boston against Dennis Siver in January. Yet despite that, McGregor was the biggest news of the day for UFC 179, as he taunted and teased an extremely hostile Brazilian crowd at an appearance to promote the show. It got so bad that McGregor at times faced death chants during his Q&A with fans. Claiming that he took the Siver fight because Aldo is frequently injured, he repeatedly made a throat slash gesture, then motioned as if holding up a trophy head, saying as well that he would beat Brazilian champion Jose Aldo and take his belt. It was not a popular move in front of Aldo's home crowd, and Brazil is notorious for passionate fans who sometimes take things too far. After several fans got in on the death chants and other provocative actions, McGregor informed them that they were being "real tough" at the back of the building, but that they would face a different fate were they to come on stage. Speaking to MMA Junkie after the appearance, McGregor stated €œIf someone would have come down there, I would have put them to sleep, no doubt.€ It was an incredible scene, and shows why the promotion opted to fly McGregor to Brazil, despite the fact that he is not actually fighting on the card. McGregor is the best self-promoter since Chael Sonnen, something he addressed during the Q&A in Brazil, pointing out that the comparison was inaccurate because he approaches the sport a different way, fights a different way, and backs things up in the cage. It's an already legendary moment in the career of the UFC's fastest rising star.

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Primarily covering the sport of MMA from Ontario, Canada, Jay Anderson has been writing for various publications covering sports, technology, and pop culture since 2001. Jay holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Guelph, and a Certificate in Leadership Skills from Humber College.