untung99.biz: Conor McGregors antics during Anthony Joshua vs Robert Helenius

Highlights

• Conor McGregor made headlines at the O2 Arena, arriving in style with a private bus and his own ring girls promoting his Forged Irish Stout.
• During the main event fight, McGregor was seen shadowboxing in the background, throwing punches and displaying his skills alongside Anthony Joshua’s punches in the ring.
• After the fight, McGregor congratulated Joshua and even offered him a sip of his Forged Irish Stout, but his antics didn’t stop there. He called out YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI for a bare knuckle fight and revealed his three-fight plan for a UFC comeback, including fights against Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje, and Nate Diaz.

Conor McGregor may not have been fighting last night, but the former two-weight UFC champion has still managed to make headlines with his antics at the O2 Arena. So, without further ado, we’re going to walk you through everything the Irishman got up to during a rather eventual Saturday night in England’s capital.

McGregor was sitting in the front row as Anthony Joshua defeated Robert Helenius thanks to a humungous seventh round knockout. The Notorious was there in support of AJ, who he had called the “definition of class, quality, and loyalty,” in a tweet prior to the fight, but at times it was hard to remain focused on the fight in the ring.

However, before we get to the ringside action from McGregor, we must address how he entered the arena. It seemed like he had a private bus hired for the special occasion, and then after first catching a glimpse of the UFC megastar, you then saw several private ring girls follow him, all advertising his Forged Irish Stout. He never misses a business opportunity, does he, ol’ Conor?

Conor McGregor’s arrival to the O2 Arena

Then to the action in the ring during the main event fight. Fans were left rather dumbfounded as McGregor could be seen in the background shadowboxing throughout as the fight was going on in front of him. The Irishman was throwing up shots in the air as Joshua was landing punches against Helenius in the ring, and it was hard to look away. He wasn’t only throwing punches, though, he was also ducking, dodging, and feinting too.

Conor McGregor shadowboxing during AJ vs Helenius

Conor McGregor’s antics after the fight continued & got worse

In the aftermath of the fight, McGregor was quick on the scene to congratulate Joshua, who had made his way out of the ring, forcing a still stunned and bloody-nosed Joshua a sip of his Forged Irish Stout. McGregor laughed and joked as AJ rather quickly walked away from the situation.

In his own post-fight interview, for which some reason happened to take place in the ring, McGregor praised the British boxer for his performance, going against the opinion of many fans by praising the patience he showed throughout. “Greatness don’t rush. Joshua took his time, he landed a big heavy shot. I’m just glad Helenius got up,” McGregor added.

McGregor also took the time to remind fans that they should be grateful Helenius came in at short notice. “[He was a] last minute replacement, no fear, he gave a great performance.” This was not McGregor’s only interaction with the crowd, but rather marked the beginning of his antics.

Conor McGregor’s post-fight interview

During his interview, McGregor, unprompted, clutched the microphone and called out KSI in the audience, inviting him to have a bare knuckle fight in a flurry of insults against the YouTuber-turned-boxer.

“He couldn’t box eggs if he worked in an egg boxing factory,” McGregor said. “If he wants to get in here, I’ll give him a bare knuckle fight if you want.”

He had even called KSI a ‘b****’ to Joshua when the pair were next to each other outside of the ring, to which Joshua responded with “that’s my guy.” KSI later responded on social media saying he had just seen McGregor’s comments, posting: “Lmao just seen this. Jake Paul must be crying that I’ve got Conor on my d*** already and I didn’t even have to fight an MMA fighter.”

Conor McGregor’s three-fight plan for UFC return

KSI was not the only opponent McGregor lined up last night as he revealed his three fight-plan for a UFC comeback later this year. The MMA fighter has been out of the cage since he suffered a loss and a broken leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021. McGregor said he would be back fighting by December.

However, there are complications with McGregor’s proposed timeline. To begin competing again, McGregor would have to re-enter the US Anti Doping Agency (USADA) programme which requires fighters to have two clean tests over six months, the Irishman is still yet to be tested under the UFC programme this year. But, he is still adamant that 16th of December will be the date of his first fight back, against Michael Chandler.

The match up between McGregor and Chandler has been highly anticipated. The American burst onto the scene making his UFC debut in 2021 and Notorious was firm that he would be his next opponent. “I have to. I’ve just got to grab him by the chest [smack] him. That’s what I’ve got to do,” he said. Of course, the two are currently going head-to-head against one another in the latest series of The Ultimate Fighter, but when it comes to coaching, it’s very clear Chandler has one up on McGregor.

Previously, Chandler has said that the pair “are going to end up fighting sometime,” confident in the inevitability of the match up.

After Chandler, McGregor revealed that Justin Gaethje would be next on his list of opponents. Gaethje is coming off the back of an impressive victory against McGregor’s old foe Poirier, knocking him out with a beautiful head kick, and the Irishman has for a long time singled out the American, so it seems likely that the two will end up in the cage together at some point, possibly in the new year.

Finally, McGregor named Nate Diaz as the final of his next three opponents. The two have fought each other twice before with each winning one of the bouts back in 2016 and McGregor has since been open about his desire to complete the trilogy. The match up between two of the most popular and entertaining fighters in UFC history is a mouthwatering proposition, and would undoubtedly bring in millions of dollars in revenue.

While some fans enjoyed McGregor’s bizarre antics at the O2, others were less entertained, and even less convinced about his ability to return to the cage. One fan said that “Conor is finished,” while another said he is “just a waterboy nowadays. Bloke hung up the gloves.”

Whether McGregor will make it back to the UFC remains under doubt as of now, but in a July interview, UFC President Dana White said there was a “hundred percent chance” McGregor could make a return to the programme in 2023, offering some hope for those who hope to see the Irishman back fighting.