The night of the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, the Las Vegas Strip was filled with Conor McGregor fans, Irish flags draped over their backs, marching into the T-Mobile Arena. His fans are, well… a little fanatical, and they will seemingly travel to the ends of the Earth to see him fight. McGregor promises, “That hype will not die down.” Some people in Las Vegas remember a similar scene from December 2007, when Mayweather fought British boxer Ricky Hatton, except that time, the flags were Union Jacks.
In an interview with Showtime Sports, McGregor sought to explain this phenomenon; “I think people are just really attached to this journey… I think the world has just taken note of, ‘This is a young, confident Irish man who’s been on one hell of a journey.” His combination of bravado and prowess made him both a UFC star and Vegas star.
It may have been Dana White’s sharp eye for talent that first brought McGregor into the limelight, but White told The Daily Mail it is possible McGregor may never want to fight in the UFC again. He is simply going to make far too much money in the boxing ring. White said, “He’s a great kid and has done a lot for this company. If this is the end of his career, then, it is what it is.”
Flamboyant and flashy, Conor McGregor is often seen wearing bespoke three-piece suits, oversized watches (one of which is reportedly worth $200,000), seersucker pants, and Louis Vuitton loafers. This flair for the dramatic fits perfectly with the glitz of Vegas.
He told one interviewer, “People say, ‘In California, we work, so we don’t have to wear suits,’ and I’m like, ‘That’s interesting to me, because I actually did the opposite. I work so I can wear these things. I want nice things. I want everything I’ve ever wanted, and I want it in every color, as well.” He even has a Louis Vuitton gym bag.
Living in a self-proclaimed “McMansion”, he says he is “surrounded by a lot of luxuries”. He is able to do just that in Las Vegas, where there is no end to the luxuries available. He reportedly celebrated his loss to Mayweather with a bar tab in excess of $100,000 at his after-fight party at one of his favorite Las Vegas hotspots, Encore Beach Club. But, when you’ve just made an estimated $100 million, Las Vegas’s nightlife, shopping, and dining can keep you busy for a long time.
At just 29 years old, Conor McGregor’s career is on the rise, and it is certain that his name will be making the headlines in Sin City for many more years to come, as will his devoted fans. His fight against Floyd Mayweather is just the beginning. As an ambidextrous fighter, he says, “No one can prepare for me.” Las Vegas, itself, may be the only thing up to the task.
