Andre Berto has a huge fight later today against Josesito Lopez on Spike TV but during Wednesday’s press conference a MMA questions is what stood out.
Berto’s family has a long history of MMA fighters, his father was in the UFC. So it shouldn’t be much of a surpass to see that he struck up a friendship with one of the UFC’s fastest rising stars, Conor McGregor, while the two rehabbed in LA in 2013.
“I didn’t know who he was at the time,” Berto said. “He was just a funny Irish dude. Every day we just came in there and had crazy ass stories. We would sit there and laugh.
“I didn’t realize the magnitude of how big of a star, how good he was. Because I never saw him fight. I knew he had the charisma just by being with him. Now, everything just came together and he took off. Another level, man. I love talking to him.”
Berto also spoke about tonight’s fight and what it meant for him to be on Spike:
“I want to put on a tremendous fight, for the network, for the new viewers, for myself in general,” Berto said. “I want to come out of the gate with a bang so they know someone that can fight his ass off, that can speak, that can look good while he’s doing it. And just make the show exciting.
“We’re in a position right now where a million people can mistakenly watch us fight. Just imagine if it’s promoted the right way, marketed the right way. With us performing, we’re giving these people a show. Just imagine what can come of it.”
Tune in to watch Berto fight Lopez on tonight’s PBC card on Spike beginning at 7pm EST. McGregor headlines UFC 189 in July.
