Conor McGregor is a passionate man, and sometimes that passion gets to be a bit much.
He’s jumped into the cage at a Bellator event and accosted a ref. He’s punched up more than his fair share of people at bars. So when McGregor and Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn sat together to watch Katie Taylor fight at Chantelle Cameron at 3Arena on Saturday night, Hearn admits he was a little nervous.
“When Gary Cullly lost, [Conor] got up and he was like, ‘Why did you put him in with him?” Hearn said on the latest episode of The MMA Hour. “I was like, ‘Well, sorry?’ He said, ‘He’s a puncher. It’s his homecoming in Ireland, you should’ve given him a can!’ I was like, ‘That guy’s lost three of his last five. Garry Cully was like 50-to-1 on to win that fight. He traded with his chin in the air.’”
“And I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, please Katie, don’t lose.’ He was gutted when Katie lost. All the Irish were, but he was getting up, he was banging the canvas during the fight.”
Taylor would lose a majority decision with 95-95, 96-94, and 96-94 scores (watch the highlights here). McGregor stayed calm and — most importantly — stayed out of the ring, and out of trouble. McGregor had sponsored the event via his Proper 12 Whiskey brand and Forged Irish Stout, and Hearn couldn’t be happier on how the partnership played out.
“Listen, he was a real gem to have involved in the promotion,” Hearn said. “Passionate. Obviously from a profile point of view, fantastic, loads of energy. I was saying the other day, probably one of the most recognizable people in the world, love him or hate him.”
Katie Taylor has already opted to activate a rematch clause and fight Cameron again sometime in fall 2023. That was her first professional loss, and many questioned the decision to move up in weight to challenge the undisputed light welterweight champion. But Eddie Hearn said a can opponent would have changed the vibe of the whole event.
“We got an unbelievable fight,” he said. “It wouldn’t have been the same week if it was Taylor 100-1 against someone you’ve never heard of. This is about — and we’re lucky to have people like Katie Taylor — the week was incredible because of the feeling and the welcome from fight fans who are passionate about the sport, who have been starved of boxing there for seven years. And as a promoter, the one thing I want is for people to leave the arena and remember the night forever with a smile on their face.”
“Now I know the disappointment of losing, but I promise you that all those nine thousand that were in that arena will never forget that night. And you win, you lose, that’s sport.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
