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UFC ‘GO BIG’ Recap

Here’s what happened at UFC’s kick-off press conference for it’s new seasonal campaign, GO BIG.

Today UFC President Dana White joined many of the sport's top fighters in Las Vegas to launch its new seasonal campaign, GO BIG, which will include matchups going from September 26th until December 9th. Present at the press conference were Ronda Rousey, Daniel Cormier, Conor McGregor, Joanna Jerzejeczk, José Aldo, and Rafael Dos Anjos, as well as top contenders Alexander Gustfsson, Luke Rockhold, Donald Cerrone, Dan Henderson, Holly Holm, Josh Barnett, Roy Nelson and Vitor Belfort, amongst others.

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White began ceremony by giving introduction to each fight as their respective promo followed. The floor then opened up to the press for questions where McGregor took over the show. It all started when a reporter tossed a question over to Dos Anjos and Cerrone, and for whatever reason McGregor interrupted both fighters, at one point calling the entire lightweight division "stiff", and challenged both Dos Anjos and Cerrone to come down 10-lbs to face him, or wait until he moves up, which is what McGregor supposedly plans to do if he wins against Aldo.

"The end of 2015 means the end of the featherweight division, they're all dead in the water. It's all done. If the Brazilian shows up," McGregor said referring to Aldo. "He's the so-called pound-for-pound but he's quaking in this boots over there. Then it's on to the 155 stuck in the mud division."

Aldo, stone-faced and reserved, appeared tired of the antics. He had this to say when asked about their meeting at this last season of TUF:

"First, he was surprised when he saw me. I saw that he was more of a clown. He likes to make the whole world laugh, people laugh in his face. This is what he does," Aldo said. "I didn't see him as nothing, I still see him as nothing. It's a shame that I couldn't fight him on the original date, but when it comes time to fight him now, I'm gonna kick his ass."

McGregor also showed plenty of Mayweather-esq bravado by referring to himself as the "money fight" and at one point telling Mendes he should thank him for getting paid. One reporter then asked Cerrone what he thought of what McGregor had to say about the 155 division. Cerrone had this to say:

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"He's real good at talking out in front of the public but when we stand in the back out there he's got nothing to say…but he comes to 155 and we're gonna bend his ass over and knock the fucking lucky charms out of him"

Though McGregor is only set to fight Aldo, he somehow got into it with Cerrone, Mendes and Dos Anjos, and at one point, White leaned over and said something to the Irishman to which resulted in a calmer press conference.

Also covered in the presser was mention of Rousey being challenged with breaking the UFC live gate record for her fight against Holms on November 14th, and UFC 200 was announced for July 9th, 2016 in Las Vegas at The New Law Vegas Arena, opponents yet to be announced.

And finally, when asked if there was anything to be said about a "certain Russian agent", White kept it short and simply said "No." When the crowd booed, he sort of laughed and responded, "If I had something to tell you, I'da told you. But I have nothing to tell you."

GO BIG will launch September 26th and go until December 19th. Dates and fights include:

September 26th – UFC Fight Night 75 – Barnett vs. Nelson
October 3rd – UFC 192 – Cormier vs. Gustafsson
October 24th – UFC Fight Night 76 – Poirier vs. Duffy
November 7th – UFC Fight Night 77 – Belfort vs. Henderson
November 14th – UFC 193 – Jedzejczyj vs. Letourneau
November 14th – UFC 193 – Rousey vs. Holm
November 21st – UFC Fight Night 78 – Brown vs. Gastelum
November 28th – UFC Fight Night 79 – Henderson vs. Alves
December 10th – UFC Fight Night 80 – TBA
December 11th – T.U.F. Finale – Edgars vs. Mendes
December 12th – UFC 194 – Weidman vs. Rockhold
December 12th – UFC 194 – Aldo vs. McGregor
December 19th – UFC Fight Night – Dos Anjos vs. Cerrone