McGregor takes shots of Irish whiskey, swigs ’em to foes

NEW YORK  – Conor McGregor bellied up to his makeshift bar, plopped his dress shoes on the table and took a swig of his own Irish whiskey.

Take a shot for every profanity belched out by the returning star?

You’d be toast.

But UFC can raise a glass to the return of the most loquacious, wicked and perhaps the pound-for-pound most bankable star in the promotion’s 25-year history. McGregor sat on the Radio City Music Hall stage – the second home for Santa Claus – and used his four-letter-word power of persuasion to make believers out of his doubters that he’s ready to shake off any rust and beat Khabib Nurmagomedov in the main event of UFC 229 in October.

“Don’t come at the king! Don’t ever come at the king,’’ McGregor bellowed.

Get your G-rated hyphens ready.

Conor ------ McGregor is back.

McGregor headlined one more time in a fitting city to hype his comeback after a two-year hiatus – he last fought in November 2016 at Madison Square Garden and it was this past April in Brooklyn where he used a dolly, chairs and guard rails in an underground rampage, with Nurmagomedov his intended target. McGregor was arrested, and was sentenced to perform five days of community service, avoiding jail time in a plea deal.

The commotion was one reason UFC put the kibosh on the tradition of allowing fans at the presser.

“I don’t want any problems in New York today,’’ UFC President Dana White said.                                                        

No one can put a lid on McGregor’s mouth.

McGregor brought two UFC championship belts with him, though he holds no title, and a bottle of his Proper No. Twelve whiskey.

He saved his biggest shots for Nurmagomedov:

• McGregor on his wrestling ability to Nurmagomedov: “You’re going to be wrestling my knuckle out of your orbital bone.’’

• McGregor on what would have happened had he got to Nurmagomedov in April: “He’d be in a box and I’d be in a cell.’’

• McGregor on his branded booze sponsoring the fight: “It’s on the canvas. Like his blood will be on the canvas.’’

McGregor and Nurmagomedov will meet on Oct. 6 in the main event of the UFC 229 pay-per-view show at T-Mobile Arena, the same spot where Floyd Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round of their one-sided prizefight.

Nurmagomedov (26-0) is a formidable challenger for McGregor in a return from a 23-month break in MMA competition, but McGregor has never backed down from a challenge.

McGregor was guaranteed $30 million last year in his ballyhooed boxing match against Mayweather, and White openly wondered if his star attraction would ever return to the cage.

Bank on it: White is now predicting at least 2.5 million pay-per-view buys for the most anticipated main event of the year.