The true and bizarre reason why Conor McGregor attended Newcastle United vs Arsenal revealed
Conor McGregor was snapped getting animated in the crowd as Newcastle United edged out Arsenal 1-0 at St James’ Park.
Newcastle United supporters were left dumbfounded once word of Conor McGregor being in the building emanated around St James’ Park. What is it with fighters, or should that be former fighters given he last fought in 2021, and the Magpies lately?
Last week, undisputed heavyweight king Oleksandr Usyk was snapped holding a Toon shirt aloft at his press conference with Tyson Fury. NewcastleWorld revealed a connection with a Ukrainian boxing coach who lives in Byker as the inspiration behind the picture.
Irish trash-talker McGregor was now in town to watch Newcastle put Arsenal to the sword on home soil. A football fan in his youth, the 36-year-old supported Manchester United and Celtic before MMA consumed his sporting mind.
Now a distant observer, snaps from the club’s media channel showed an animated McGregor getting absorbed into the action as if he were sitting ringside for a barn burner. Hopeful fans joked about Nate Diaz being the reason behind his Tyneside visit.
The Stockton slugger, in perhaps an even more random event, was seen chatting with fans at Greggs opposite Central Station a month ago. Was McGregor on the hunt for his arch-nemesis to settle the score in a historic trilogy fight?
Unfortunately not, as the UFC sensation attended Newcastle vs Arsenal simply as a tune-up to last night’s BKFC show. Once considered an underground pastime, bare-knuckle is now the fastest-growing combat sport worldwide.
American promotion BKFC is the sport’s flagship brand and McGregor bought a minority stake in April. The show came to the Utilita Arena, with seven finishes from 11 fights delivering the violence.
McGregor - looking dapper as usual - even shared a can of his homebrewed Forged Irish Stout with Ben Bonner after he brutally slept Lewis Keen. In a bizarre turn of events in the ever-so-irregular world of Newcastle, both BKFC and the Magpies supplied a knockout punch to keep sport at the forefront of North East chitchat.