Sheamus Willing To Fight Conor McGregor?

Conor McGregor, the Irish sensation who is currently the UFC interim featherweight champion, has a huge showdown coming up again Jose Aldo at UFC 194. That hasn't stopped him from engaging in numerous feuds, including one with none other than WWE Superstar Sheamus. The two share Irish heritage, but little else it seems. Apparently, the beef between the two stems from interviews McGregor did in which Sheamus felt he was disrespectful to the WWE.

He was having a go at WWE in these interviews he was doing. The first couple of times I let it go but then I decided to have a bit of craic and banter with him. If someone€™s going to have a crack, that€™s fine.

That resulted in a Twitter spat, where McGregor told the wrestler;

You will wake up with no teeth and your nose on my mantle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-D4OJMhonw Things died down for a bit, however when Sheamus appeared on Close Encounters on RTE recently, the subject was brought up again. Sheamus did acknowledge that due to the weight disparity, they likely wouldn't be allowed to fight (oh, for the old open weight days), but stated if it came to it, he could take the UFC champion.

Would I take him (if I had to)? Absolutely. Course I would. No one could take me. No one€™s better than me. I could walk over anyone.

Of course, there's that pesky lack of MMA experience for the 37 year old Sheamus. McGregor, a full decade younger, is a veteran of twenty pro MMA fights. Believe it or not, that's the biggest barrier: the UFC, despite gambling on CM Punk, wouldn't waste their time putting a completely inexperienced fighter in against a champion. Former champion, sure (we're looking at you, Randy Couture vs. James Tooney). The weight, meanwhile, isn't the issue you might think it is. McGregor is a huge featherweight who trains with welterweights and has talked about fighting at 170lbs (he will likely move up to at least lightweight within the next year or two). He also trains with welterweight Gunnar Nelson. If Sheamus could ever trim down, a catchweight around the middleweight limit would be possible - but not with Sheamus' lack of experience. Take this as simply both the pro wrestler and UFC champ honing their promotion skills.