It seems like everybody in Ireland watched Conor McGregor claim UFC gold in Las Vegas.
The Irish rugby team were early risers, on Sunday morning, as they sat down to cheer UFC superstar Conor McGregor on against Chad Mendes.
As World Cup preparations ramp up, Ireland coach Joe Schmidt was not a fan of a 5am live viewing but gave the thumbs up for his squad watching a recording of the UFC 189 bout at 7:30am, before training.
Among the anxious viewers were Ireland captain Paul O’Connell and prop Jack McGrath.
O’Connell said, ‘I was up for it. I don’t know a lot about UFC but I watched the fight. I though [McGregor’s win] was pretty incredible.’
‘I think a few of the lads have jumped on the bandwagon alright,’ joked McGrath.
‘Fair play to McGregor. It was unbelievable. A serious comeback. Congratulations to him.’
Skip to 1:55 in the video [below] to hear more from both players, who were in Galway, today, launching Ireland’s new, Canterbury-designed World Cup jerseys.
