Conor McGregor “cannot wait to perform” in New York

NEW YORK – Irishman Conor McGregor made his Madison Square Garden debut Tuesday night with expected bravado.

“(The Irish) built this city. Now I’m coming to claim what’s ours,” McGregor said in a press conference at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden, where UFC announced its UFC 205 event.

McGregor aims to become the first fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously when the sport makes a splashy entrance into the last U.S. state to legalize mixed martial arts.

The wildly popular brawler is fighting in the main event for Eddie Alvarez’s lightweight belt – one of three title fights on a card with several matches that could easily headline a different event. The UFC wants its Madison Square Garden event on Nov. 12 to top the promotion’s biggest cards, especially after UFC 200 in July was marred by doping violations and a lineup that reshuffled several times.

“It’s an honor to be here,” McGregor said. “I cannot wait to perform. … The Irish love New York and I’m honored to be here.”

UFC officials met with reporters, some five months after state lawmakers ended a ban on professional MMA. The pay-per-view fight will be the first UFC event in New York state since UFC 7 in Buffalo on Sept. 8, 1995.

“It took longer that it should’ve,” UFC president Dana White said.

The stacked card also includes new welterweight champion Tyron Woodley’s first title defense against Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, along with strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk’s defense against fellow Pole Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Popular veteran fighters Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone, Miesha Tate, Frankie Edgar, Chris Weidman and Rashad Evans also are in the show.