Is Conor McGregor really such a big deal in Ireland? A fellow Irishman explains

Conor McGregor

Contrary to popular belief, the entire country of Ireland does not come to a standstill every time Conor McGregor steps inside the UFC octagon.

Even when the “Notorious” (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) steps into the cage on Saturday to face Chad Mendes (17-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) for the interim featherweight title at UFC 189, which airs on pay-per-view from Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena, civilization on the island will not be temporarily suspended.

That is not to say the 26-year-old is not nigh or universally revered in his homeland, or that he hasn’t almost single-handedly steamrolled MMA into the national consciousness. It’s just that his place in Irish society is not quite as elevated as the Zuffa PR team would have you believe.

Much like everywhere else, the Dubliner has become a polarizing figure in Ireland. Rarely is there a middle ground; he’s either loved or disdained. Though the former inclination significantly outweighs the latter.

From a purely Irish perspective, McGregor’s greatest achievement has been to give the sport of MMA a face and, without question, a voice. Before his arrival in the UFC, a thriving MMA subculture existed here, but it was of little concern to the majority of the population.

However, in April 2013, after McGregor’s explosive first-round knockout of Marcus Brimage in his promotional debut at UFC on FUEL TV 9 in Stockholm, the status quo was modestly, but irrevocably, altered. All of the sudden, a tentative interest in the sport was coming from the most unlikely of sources.

When McGregor appeared as a guest on the “Late Late Show,” Ireland’s longest-running chat show and one that is aired by the national broadcaster, RTE, it was almost akin to watching a dog play chess. The station would then go on to air his eponymous documentary series.

What’s more, while brash, braggadocios sports stars might be commonplace in other parts of the world, they are virtually unheard of in Ireland. It’s in this regard, too, that McGregor not only broke, but shattered, the mold. Until he emerged, the country had never produced an athlete so willing to express his unblinking self-belief or desire for fame, fortune and everything in between.

Above all else, however, it was the UFC’s return to Dublin this time last year that cemented McGregor’s status as an Irish sporting superstar. The excitement, anticipation and overall engagement that manifested in the build-up to UFC Fight Night 46 rendered even the most ardent of skeptics incredulous.

That balmy July night proved a global coming-out party for not only McGregor, but Irish MMA in general. After a clean sweep for all the Irish fighters, including adopted son Gunnar Nelson, McGregor entered the then-O2 Arena to face Diego Brandao in the main event against a backdrop of unbridled patriotic fervor.

When he finished off Brandao late in the first round via TKO, the magnitude of the ensuing pandemonium that erupted around the area was close to indescribable. For all the Irish in attendance, even those in a professional capacity, it was impossible not to be momentarily swept away by a frisson of national pride as McGregor bellowed at interviewer Dan Hardy during his post-fight chat that we weren’t here to take part, but to take over.

We Irish are loyal to our sporting representatives almost to a fault; the soccer and rugby teams have always been accompanied by hordes of fans on their travels, which is why it has been of little surprise that McGregor has received similar treatment.

Although, true to form, he’s been singular in this area as well, by even mobilizing the diaspora. Of the thousands of Irish who have descended on Las Vegas this week for McGregor’s big PPV headliner, many will have come from Canada, Australia and New Zealand, having left Ireland to find work during the recent recession.

Although we punch above our weight as a sporting nation, Irish world champions have never been in abundance. So, when one of our own is on the precipice of reaching such a milestone, it tends to have a unifying affect.

The country will not screech to a grinding halt in honor of McGregor’s big moment, but hundreds of thousands of its inhabitants will unquestionably prolong their Saturday night (or begin Sunday morning unspeakably early) to tune in and watch.

For more on UFC 189, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.