The takeover could get a whole lot bigger...
The prospect of taking on Conor McGregor is already daunting enough but the task might become even harder for the Dubliner's opponents with 80,000 roaring home fans potentially behind him next summer.
UFC Executive Vice President Gary Cook has revealed that the powers that be are exploring the possibility of The Notorious fighting in Croke Park or the Aviva next summer.
"We are looking at something very special", Cook told the
Sunday World. "Talks have taken place over the prospect of hiring Croke Park or the Aviva Stadium for a possible world title fight against the Brazilian champion Jose Aldo next summer.
“Conor is an athlete who is capturing the imagination of the Irish public and the prospect of hiring a huge outdoor stadium to stage a fight that will put him and the sport on the map is exciting all of us.
“After the success of the event we staged at the O2 Arena in Dublin earlier this year, we believe we can sell a lot of tickets for this fight. So long as everything goes okay with Conor’s next bout, it should be all systems go for next summer.”
Cook spoke about the 02 event earlier this year also saying, “Dana White, who has long been the face of UFC and an Irish-American himself, told me that the event we put on in Dublin was the most thrilling he has every witnessed in the history of the sport.
“The noise of the crowd and the spectacle generated by Conor and the other fighters was just incredible and to move our sport forward to the next level, we want to tap into the enthusiasm this wonderfully talented sportsman has generated.
JOE is very much advocating a slightly dull 'one fight at a time' policy, McGregor has the small matter of a meeting with
Dennis Siver in Boston in January, but this potential fight has already got us excited.
Conor McGregor. Croke Park. Bring it on.
