UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor is apparently a man of many talents. The Irishman was the first fighter in UFC history to dominate two separate divisions, and he is now set to try his hand at boxing after his bout with Floyd Mayweather was confirmed. The two are set to square off on August 26.
McGregor is expected to lose to Mayweather, but the UFC star still fancies his chances and believes he could hand the undefeated boxer his first ever loss. However, before all this started, the UFC lightweight champion was an amateur footballer back in his home town of Dublin.
Also read: Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather: Boxing fans should not rule out the Irishman just yet
He played for Slievenamon United and Yellowstone Celtic in the United Churches League and Leinster Football, and according to his coach he was really good. His former manager Robbie Beakhurst felt that he could have easily made it as a footballer and revealed that he was a top striker.
"He played for me with a club called Slievenamon United when we played in the UCFL. He was a striker and was our top scorer every year. I took over Yellowstone Celtic and took him with me and again he was scoring for fun on a weekly basis," JSP quoted Beakhurst as saying.
Beakhurst also mentioned that McGregor was so good and confident about his abilities back then that he used to tell his teammates, "Just give me the ball and I'll do the rest".
“@Ger_Grehan: @TheNotoriousMMA Do you miss playing for Yellowstone Celtic on a freezin winters day? #AskNotorious” I was a goal machine.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) 7 September 2013
During his time as an amateur footballer, McGregor played alongside current Lincoln City midfielder, Alan Power. The ex Nottingham Forest and Hartlepool United player revealed that he was not a bad footballer but he is a better fighter than a footballer.
"We used to knock around in the same circle of friends back home when we were growing up. He played Sunday League football where I did, actually he wasn't a bad footballer, but he chose a different path. He made the right decision, he's a better fighter than a footballer, but who knows, I might have been the same," Power said.
During a recent interview McGregor revealed that he was a huge football fan and was more into playing the sport than watching it. The Irishman also revealed which club he supported and said that the only reason he supports them is because it was passed down from generation to generation.
"I suppose if you pushed me I would say Manchester United, but that's only because it gets passed down from generation to generation. I think just about everyone in Ireland is either a Liverpool or United fan. But some people go a little weird, referring to the team they support as "we". To me that's a little crazy. I admire their athleticism and their dedication," McGregor said.
The UFC star's footballing career was halted after he stated focusing more on MMA. If McGregor were to defeat Mayweather he would definitely be considered the best fighter in the world and his fans around the world would not be surprised to see him try to conquer another sport.
