– Niall Kelly reports from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas
IT STARTED LATE on Thursday, not long before midnight, a familiar chorus of “There’s only one Conor McGregor” snaking its way across the casino floor and carrying a dozen partying fans along with it.
Don’t worry — the Irish are finally here.
For most of the week, it was almost the dirty little secret of UFC 196. Las Vegas has become so used to the wave of green that sweeps into town with McGregor that when the usual invasion never quite materialised, nobody knew how to react.
“I’ve already written an article for tomorrow’s paper wondering what has happened to the Irish fans,” a worried-looking Canadian journalist confided while waiting outside the MGM Grand Garden for Friday afternoon’s weigh-ins.
He cast his eye over the queue to get in to the arena, so long that it was split into two with each part doubling back on itself, laced with tricolours, GAA jerseys and the kind of pasty faces that cannot be mistaken for any other nationality.
Thankfully, there was still time for a bit of a re-write.
There was of course a visible Irish presence earlier in the week but the army has unquestionably swelled over the past 24 hours. The majority of the McGregor fans at Wednesday’s open workouts cheered on their man with an American twang, while those who arrived in time for Thursday’s press conference seemed to be confined to a few pockets of green.
It fed concerns that a third fight in the space of nine months, and so soon after the December pilgrimage for the Jose Aldo featherweight title fight, might be one trip too many for even the die-hards. Not even the UFC bean-counters could find fault with anyone who chose to sit this one out.
But the fanaticism which McGregor inspires doesn’t abide by that kind of logic, not to mention the hedonist Vegas playground which has its own unique charms to keep pulling people back.
Those who were expecting a repeat of the wild Aldo atmosphere might feel that this week comes up short, but it’s more likely that that particular moment in Irish MMA history will live on as the exception rather than the rule.
By the time The Notorious bounded on to the scales to weigh in at an easy 168lbs, smiling and rubbing his belly, their numbers had comfortably moved from the hundreds into four figures.
“I’m looking forward to going in there and putting the martial arts back into the game,” he said, enjoying himself every bit as much as those behind the Olé Olés which rolled around the arena.
Weight should never be an issue. Champions should be able to go up and down and fight any challenge that comes before them.
“I’m looking forward to going in fresh and putting on a show for the fans because the fans’ support, I always step up for the fans.”
Stop any of those same fans in the bar or on the casino floor and they would surely tell you that it’s unthinkable that Nate Diaz could cause a shock in Saturday night’s main event.
“I’m here to kill or be killed. That’s Stockton, California,” Diaz warned, battling the boos which threatened to drown him out. ”Fuck this little bitch, fuck you.”
The roles of hero and villain were determined long before this. Now they have their audience — and they’re making their voices heard.
The42 is on Snapchat! Tap the button below on your phone to add!
