21 March 2023 , 09:14
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Eddie Hearn expects Conor McGregor's drinks company to sponsor Katie Taylor's homecoming fight in Dublin on May 20 after crunch talks in Ireland last month.
The Matchroom Boxing boss travelled to the Black Forge Inn, McGregor's Dublin hotspot, in February to talk with the UFC legend about potentially funding a move from the 3Arena to Croke Park for the bout. At the time, Taylor's opponent was set to be Amanda Serrano, against whom she sold out Madison Square Garden last April, but she has since been replaced by Chantelle Cameron.
And after a seemingly successful meeting, talks have continued between the two parties, with McGregor's Proper Twelve Whiskey and new Forged Irish Stout now both likely to be sponsors of the event. But Hearn is unsure if the legendary UFC fighter will appear on fight night, or be involved in promoting the show prior to the event.
"Conor's confirmed that he wants to sponsor the event," Hearn told Mirror Fighting at the launch press conference for Taylor vs Cameron in Ireland yesterday. "So we're speaking to Audie [Attar, McGregor's manager] and his team right now.
"It's about Proper Twelve whiskey and Forged Irish Stout, so expect to see them involved in the event. Conor genuinely has a passion to support Katie Taylor, I think he really respects and admires her as a fighter and also he wants to try and make more fights and help if he can with Croke Park in the future."
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Asked if McGregor, who just wrapped up filming the latest season of The Ultimate Fighter in Las Vegas ahead of his UFC return later this year, would attend the event, Hearn replied: "I don't know. I don't know what his schedule will be like, he's filming at the moment so we're not sure. But if he can be, he'd love to [be there]."
Speaking with Irish written press before the press conference, Taylor remained coy with her thoughts on the controversial fighter's involvement in her long-awaited homecoming. McGregor is one of the most popular fighters in the world, but he has become less beloved in his home country in recent years due to a slew of issues outside of the cage, and a losing streak inside of it.
He and Taylor have spent time together in the past, with the pair meeting in Boston when she faced Cindy Serrano at the TD Garden in October of 2018. At the time, McGregor was coming off the back of just his second UFC loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov, and was yet to begin his long period of inactivity and losing that has cost him a number of his home fans.