Conor McGregor denies 'Game of Thrones' casting, turns down 'Predator' sequel

Conor McGregor is making it clear that his focus is on fighting and not dabbling in show business.

The UFC lightweight champion has been attached to several different film and television projects in recent months, but it appears that he's just not interested in acting right now.

Last year, McGregor turned down a role in "xXx: The Return of Xander Cage" to focus on his rematch with Nate Diaz and middleweight champion Michael Bisping ended up taking the part instead.

Now McGregor says he also turned down a part in the upcoming "Predator" sequel starring Olivia Munn and recent Emmy winner Sterling K. Brown.

"There's a lot of offers that I've turned down," McGregor explained during his recent Q&A in England. "I got offered the 'Predator' movie, there's a new 'Predator' movie coming out and the guys came to me and you saw the horse (racing) thing I done, that was like three days. Three days solid work for a hell of a lot of money, for three days. I didn't even know it was acting. When they sent me the contract, I just checked how much I was getting paid and how much they wanted me to work and I signed on the dotted line. Then when I get to the horse track 'OK you've got to act now, here's your lines', I was like what the (expletive). I just saw the number. But it was a hell of a lot for me doing that."

According to McGregor, the role he was being offered in "Predator" would have required him to film in Canada for the better part of two months and ultimately he just didn't feel that it was the right deal for his career right now.

"During that three-day course, the people from 'Predator,' who are having this new 'Predator' movie, blockbuster (expletive) they came in trying to sell the whole (expletive). We want you to be the main guy and you're going to fight Predator and I'm like this sounds brilliant…how much? Not enough. Then we went back and forth and we're negotiating and the number climbed up and I was like if I was to do it, it would mean eight weeks in Toronto or somewhere," McGregor said.

"It's too long a time, you can't do a million things at once."

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In other casting news, McGregor also denied that he had accepted a guest role on "Game of Thrones" where he was rumored to play a pirate during the upcoming seventh season on HBO.

"Game of Thrones" showrunners David Benioff and Dan Weiss are both big UFC fans and have attended several of McGregor's past fights while also revealing that the cast and crew behind the show will routinely tune into every one of his performances.

Despite that connection, McGregor says he never even heard about appearing in "Game of Thrones" outside of one conversation he had with UFC president Dana White following his fight with Nate Diaz last August.

"That was everywhere. I never even heard about it. I never even heard about it. I'm going to be in "Game of Thrones"? I tell you, I heard about it once very straight after the Nate Diaz 2 fight. Ari (Emanuel) and Patrick (Whitesell) were standing there, the new owners of the UFC backstage in the dressing room after I beat Nate, Dana (White) was in front of them and Dana was saying 'these guys want you to be in 'Game of Thrones'' and I'm sitting there banged up. My shin is in a heap, I've been kicking his knee straight away for 25 minutes. Me leg's in bits and he's trying to offer me a "Game of Thrones" role. I'm looking at him saying listen come at me with the (expletive) I want to hear. I'm not trying to be in show business. I'm trying to be in the fight business," McGregor said. "Come at me with a real number to fight again.

"That was the only time I've heard the word 'Game of Thrones' and then it went everywhere months later so I don't know where that came from. I have never been in contact with anybody from "Game of Thrones" about starring in "Game of (expletive) Thrones". Don't believe everything you hear."