UFC 178: We speak to Conor McGregor, Dominick Cruz, Donald Cerrone, Eddie Alvarez and Chris Cariaso

With Irish sensation Conor McGregor at its heart, UFC 178 will feel at home in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena’s regal settings as a world champion, a renaissance-style return and a pack of explosive contenders gather under one roof.

Sky Sports has spoken to McGregor and Demetrious Johnson’s title challenger Chris Cariaso. We’ve also got Dominick Cruz’s thoughts on returning, plus we talk to the ever-popular Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone and newcomer Eddie Alvarez...

‘Notorious’ Conor McGregor

The Dubliner seems suited to Vegas’s bright lights and meeting Dustin Poirier will provide the clearest indication yet of whether his talent can match his own predictions.

MCGREGOR SAID:  Fighting in Vegas is not enough of a big deal to make me overwhelmed by it, this is what I expected and what I said would happen. I always aspire to fight in Vegas like all combat athletes and this I what I worked for and planned for.

It doesn’t feel normal but it feels right. As far as the contest itself, it doesn’t feel bigger. It’s all the same in there. But everything surrounding the fight is bigger and more beautiful, it feels right and how it should feel.

The Dublin event was supposedly big pressure but I took it in my stride like I take this in my stride. I feel like I’m a veteran now. I’ve visualised all these things so when they happened I’m accustomed to it, I’ve anticipated it.

Nobody is ranked higher than me because in my mind I’m ranked number one pound-for-pound. I am a king and Dustin is a contender and he’s just another guy that will bow before me – he will either bow before or bow after, but mark my words he will bow.

I am on my journey and on my own path and I believe I am the greatest. Over time I will show that. And I look forward to being on this card and showing it.

This is me breaking onto the American scene, the takeover begins here.

Dominick Cruz

He last fought three years ago before horrendous knee injuries resulted in his world title being stripped. Returning against Takeya Mizugaki, will he be the same?

CRUZ SAID: The biggest fight I’ve ever had is with myself, to get healthy for this fight. This is everything I’ve ever done coming to a head in one night.

I’ve definitely had my low points and those times changed me as a person. I hit rock bottom, I’ve felt that and it’s rough. You lose your place and you don’t know where you are. I’ve definitely had dark times but everybody in the world has those and I want to use mine to help other people going through rough times.

Fighting has a new meaning for me now. I look at differently. I still love it but it’s relieved me to realise that fighting does not define me as a man or as a person.

I don’t need this to be happy. I used to feel like I needed fighting to be happy but that was taken from me so I realised things about myself. While it still carries significance, it has a different meaning.

I’m fighting not to prove anything to anyone – this is a battle for me. This will show me what I’m made of and that’s why I’m doing it.

Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone

The adrenaline junkie will be looking to continue an explosive run of four straight finishes against Eddie Alvarez, but how are his unique preparations going?

CERRONE SAID: I’m back to doing what I love – drinking beer and wakeboarding! Everybody was telling me that’s not the things I should be doing before a fight. I realised I was right! I’m out here on the lake right now.

I love Vegas, everything’s open for 24 hours, eating and drinking anytime you want. I can play with my boat every day. I’ve found the right balance for sure and it’s always in the favour of having fun.

I want to fight six times in a year because nobody’s done it, I enjoy staying busy and it would be cool to have the record – but I won’t think about the next one until this one’s over.

I haven’t given Eddie much thought, the fight isn’t until next week so I’ll think about it a couple of days before, I imagine. A lot of fighters aren’t by the lake a week before they fight but, to me, I’m not fighting for a long time so what’s wrong with it? 

Eddie Alvarez

Long considered one of the best fighters outside of the UFC, legal battles are behind him as he finally makes his promotional debut opposite Donald Cerrone.

ALVAREZ SAID: I’m the underground guy and I like that tag because the next UFC prospect is always out there. He’s somewhere. I’m that guy today who nobody knows that has been a champion of other organisations and has beaten everybody outside of the UFC. The next guy is always out there preparing to be the best, you just don’t know his name yet – I speak for those people.

I’m a bit of a show-off so I like the extra eyes on me! I feel like there’s more attention, I feel it everywhere I’ve been. But signing for the UFC is the opposite of relief, I was never uneasy about it.

There are a lot of guys ranked above me and that uneasy feeling is what I like – I don’t want to feel like a champion who’s on top of the world. I like to feel like there’s a task ahead and that wakes me up early and keeps me up late. That’s how I live my life.

I’ve been watching these guys for years. I’ve helped train these guys to fight each other! I’ve watched film on all of them. Some of these guys I know better than they know themselves.

What has made me strong is fighting all over the world, losing titles that I won, coming back through adversity and winning them back, dealing with experiences. Through my experiences I understand that when my mind is right I can beat anybody.

Chris Cariaso

Replacing the Jon Jones v Daniel Cormier main-event is no small task and Cariaso is a huge underdog challenging for Demetrious Johnson’s bantamweight title.

CARIASO SAID: This isn’t a Rocky story because I don’t plan on coming from behind. A lot of people have counted me out and haven’t given me the credit I deserve.

I just think of it as a regular fight, I’m trying not to let the pressure get to me but it’s definitely keeping my brain awake at night.

I knew I’d eventually get the call to fight Demetrious but I wasn't expecting it so soon. I take inspiration from TJ Dillashaw’s title win – Renan Barao was unbeatable!

I feel like the stars are aligning for this fight.

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