Getty Dana White & Conor McGregor
A-list Hollywood actor Liam Neeson doesn’t have a great opinion of the UFC or its biggest superstar, Conor McGregor. In fact, Neeson said he “can’t stand” the world’s largest mixed martial arts promotion, and that “Notorious” was giving Ireland “a bad name.”
That’s what “The Grey” actor from Northern Ireland declared in a recent interview with Men’s Health.
“UFC I can’t stand,” Neeson said. “That to me is like a bar fight. I know the practitioners are like, ‘no, you’re wrong—the months of training we do …’ Why don’t you just grab a beer bottle and hit the other guy over the head? That’s the next stage of the UFC. I hate it. … That little leprechaun Conor McGregor, he gives Ireland a bad name. I know he’s fit, and I admire him for that. But I can’t take it.”
Neeson is a movie star known for portraying protagonists in several blockbuster films, including Qui-Gon Jinn in “Star Wars: Episode 1 – The Phantom Menace, Oskar Schindler in “Schindler’s List,” Hannibal in “The A-Team,” and Bryan Mills in the “Taken” franchise. Neeson was nominated for an Oscar in 1994 for his portrayal of Schindler.
McGregor is set to make his acting debut. Filming recently wrapped on the “Road House” remake, which Notorious stars in alongside another Oscar-nominated actor, Jake Gyllenhaal. McGregor hasn’t competed inside the UFC’s Octagon since July 2021 when he broke his leg fighting Dustin Poirier in Las Vegas, Nevada.
McGregor May Coach the Next Season of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’
Notorious made headlines last weekend when he wrote on social media that he had been offered a role coaching on the “Ultimate Fighter.” “I like it,” Notorious wrote about the opportunity.
Should McGregor join the television series, he’ll likely do it ahead of his Octagon return. And the other man chosen to coach against himself would likely be his comeback opponent.
Former UFC interim lightweight champion Tony Ferguson shared that he had been offered a coaching position on the show as well. But, top-ranked 155-pound combatant Michael Chandler refuted Ferguson’s claim during a recent appearance on the “Believe You Me” podcast.
Chandler Wants to Coach Opposite McGregor, Welcome Notorious Back to the Cage
If Chandler gets his way, he’ll join the long-running reality competition series opposite McGregor. And then he’ll welcome the Irishman back to the cage.
“That was definitely just a tweet,” Chandler said. “I know for sure that was definitely just a tweet thrown out there to see if it gained any traction.”
“Confirmed, Tony Ferguson is just throwing stuff out there,” Chandler continued. “That’s been in the talks. Obviously, everybody knows that I’d be down — me, Conor on TUF, whether it be four, six weeks. However long, we’d be filming that thing. The tension, the rivalry, the competition, the trash talk, just the animosity that would be built up and then go into a training camp and then fight later on after the show.
“I want the fight. Everybody knows that. The fans want the fight. Dana [White] has gone public saying he wants that fight. So, the UFC wants the fight. I’ve actually heard from numerous UFC people that that’s the fight a lot of people are talking about.”
Chandler said that he’d be down to fight McGregor at welterweight instead of 155 pounds, a weight class McGregor has shown disinterest in moving forward.