Does UFC 204's Mirsad Bektic think he'd beat champ Conor McGregor? 'I'd beat anybody'

MANCHESTER, England – With another easy night at the office in the books, Mirsad Bektic believes he’s done enough to move past his longstanding “prospect” status.

After adding a third submission to his undefeated run with Saturday’s UFC 204 win over short-notice replacement Russell Doane (14-7 MMA, 2-4 UFC), Bektic (11-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) thinks it’s about time he gets treated – and paid – as a reality.

“It’s definitely time to be past prospect,” Bektic said. “I’ve been a prospect since I was like 4-0 as a pro and 9-0 as an amateur. I was 23 when I was a prospect. That speaks for itself.

“I’ll fight top-10 guys, and I want that top-10 money. Things have to make sense, and I have to keep doing my thing. Whoever they give me – calling out has never worked for me, so whoever they ask me to fight, I’ll say yes too. I’ve never backed out of anything, so I’ll just stay ready.”

The featherweight bout opened the main card of Saturday’s UFC 204 event at Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. It aired pay-per-view following prelims on FS1 and UFC Fight Pass, and it had plenty of action (via Twitter):

Bektic’s win comes on the heels of a difficult 497-day layoff that had him, in his words, “in a dark place.” After dealing with ACL surgery and canceled bouts, however, the No. 14 fighter in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie MMA featherweight rankings dismissed any thoughts of ring rust.

Recovered and hungry, the 145-pounder feels prepared to claim his spot at the top. Even if it doesn’t necessarily happen tomorrow.

“Post-fight I went over to (UFC President Dana White) and told him, ‘Give me some chicken,’” Bektic said. “It’s my mom’s 50th birthday, and I just told him. Back in July last year, when (Chad) Mendes fought (UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor), before that fight I went up to Dana and shook hands with him and told him, ‘Hey Dana, I’m the one. I’m going to be your champ.’ He didn’t remember, but I reminded him of that today.

“I’m building a big foundation. Skyscrapers take time, so I’m going with the flow.”

Bektic might not be rushing his way into title contention, but that doesn’t mean he won’t be ready should a shortcut present itself. Much like the rest of the MMA community, he’s unsure of what his division’s current titleholder, McGregor, has planned after his Nov. 12 UFC 205 title affair against lightweight champ Eddie Alvarez.

If a McGregor scrap does end up happening, Bektic said he’s ready to beat him – much like he feels prepared to do with anybody else who crosses his path.

“I think (Alvarez vs. McGregor) is a great fight,” Bektic said. “I like McGregor. He’s doing his thing right now, and Alvarez, he’s a gangster. He’s a former Bellator champ, and he’s a UFC champ now. I’m very excited to see their fight. They have different styles. They both have different strengths, so I’m excited to see it.

“(I’ll fight McGregor) if he’s there. I’m not sure what his plans are. He won the featherweight belt, and it’s been a long time, and he hasn’t defended it. I don’t even know how long it’s been since he fought at featherweight. I would beat him now. I’d beat anybody.”

Fore more on Bektic’s thoughts on Doane and his UFC future, check out the video above.

And, for complete coverage UFC 204, check out the UFC Events section of the site.