With the Irish contingent swelling by the hour in Las Vegas, Conor McGregor said that he has "handcuffed" Jose Aldo into the fight that will end his historic reign as UFC champion.
McGregor treated his supporters, vastly increased from the previous day as tricolour-clad fans streamed into Sin City ahead of the Saturday night unification bout, to an intense public workout at the MGM Grand on Thursday.
Afterwards, he said that his featherweight rival, unbeaten in the octagon for a decade now, has never felt more uncomfortable ahead of a fight.
"I feel that he feels like he is handcuffed and forced into this," McGregor said at the Garden Arena.
"He doesn't want to be there. He's forced. The man is forced to do this.
"When I look into his eyes, he's confused, he doesn't know where he is. He cannot wait for this to be over."
The Irish contingent looked to have at least trebled in size from the final press conference in the same venue the day before. They serenaded Aldo with boos throughout the Brazilian's tepid run-through and then saluted their hero an hour later.
McGregor went through a significantly more intense workout in front of the crowds, although a good chunk of it was spent in tandem with his new movement guru Ido Portal, flexing and extending, rather than punching and pads. McGregor, however, allayed any concerns about weight, insisting he has never felt better.
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"I wasn't lying when I said I had a hell of a lot of adversity to overcome. Here you see me in my prime, no corners cut. I feel good, look good in my face. This is the day before weigh-in, the toughest day for a competitor, and I feel Saturday night I will reap the rewards," said McGregor, who again declined to offer respect for his rival.
"Respect for me is earned through battle. If he shows up, fights with his heart, you have my respect. A man that has ran? I cannot respect a man who has ran, who has evaded. If he stands across from me in the octagon and gives me the exchanges he says he can [I will respect him]."
After his meteoric rise, McGregor has continually been rumoured to be seeking more control of his own affairs from UFC chiefs. The 27-year-old said, more than anything, he would prefer to fight much more often.
"I feel I'm already making [money]. I don't feel like an employee. I feel like a business associate. A lot of them don't want to fight. I would have had about three more fights by now [if I was in charge of it]. I would love freedom to pick and choose my fights of course - while you're young, fresh and healthy. Stay busy, get in and compete."
With Irish fans jeering and jibing him about his ribs, Aldo didn't hang around long, but he did again sound a note of confidence that he can deal with whatever way the UFC 194 headline fight develops.
"On our feet, I will knock him out. On the ground, I will submit him. I don't care. Wherever the fight goes I'm gonna end this fight," said the Brazilian.
"I've always been involved in big fights. My first fight in the UFC was in front of 50,000 people. I always want to be involved in fights like these. It's a great event and it's a great fight. I think we're going to be able to break a lot of records and make a lot of money. Wherever the fight goes, I'm going to end this fight."
