Conor McGregor admits to drinking during fight week for Khabib Nurmagomedov loss at UFC 229

In the lead-up to UFC 246, Conor McGregor has reiterated a point he’s made in the past.

The former champion thinks a disjointed, unfocused camp led to his fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018, which was his most recent fight.

But in a Monday interview with ESPN, McGregor revealed he consumed alcohol during fight week for that event – and it was more than just a quick swig of Proper No. Twelve on Conan O’Brien’s late-night show.

For his UFC 246 camp, McGregor said he hasn’t consumed alcohol. In fact, he said it’s been a few months since his most recent drink.

“Good couple of months ago (since I drank),” McGregor said. “Three, four months ago maybe. … I was drinking all the way through fight week last time (for Nurmagomedov).”

McGregor said the behavior wasn’t normal for him and that since he didn’t drink alcohol during fight weeks for past bouts, he’s unsure why he decided to for UFC 229.

“Not to that extent (it wasn’t common),” McGregor said. “I just had this venom in me or something. I don’t know why.”

According to McGregor, it wasn’t uncommon for him to celebrate after intense sparring sessions. What McGregor described was essentially having full-on fights in the gym. With success in sparring came post-session celebration.

“I had people holed up in a hotel from that part of the world (Dagestan/Russia), and I would ring and arrange a fight and I would ring them and they would come down to the gym and have a full-blown fight – no head guard, gloves that were small,” McGregor said. “A fight. I’d win, I’d have a war, and I’d win and I’d knock the guy out then I’d go off and celebrate. Then I’d come back in three days – not doing what I should’ve been doing, not living the life I should’ve been.”

Since then, McGregor said he’s learned from his mistakes and made adjustments. He’s comfortable with where he’s at.

“I’m not going back there,” McGregor said. “I’m in a better place. I’ve made mistakes and I’ve been man enough to admit them and correct it, and that’s what I’ve done. I might not be perfect, but with a good sleep and a full belly, I’m damn close.”

McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) returns Saturday against Donald Cerrone (36-13 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in the UFC 246 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.