Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn watched Katie Taylor’s big Ireland homecoming this past Saturday alongside UFC superstar Conor McGregor, but the result was unfortunately not what McGregor nor most of the fans in attendance hoped for.
Taylor dropped a majority decision to Chantelle Cameron at Dublin’s 3Arena in the main event of the DAZN-streamed card. Having shared the promotion for the bout with “The Notorious,” Hearn shared how McGregor reacted to Taylor’s loss on home soil.
“He was gutted when Katie lost,” Hearn said Monday on The MMA Hour. “All the Irish [fans] were, but he was getting up, he was banging the canvas during the fight.
“But listen, he was a real gem to have involved in the promotion. Passionate. Obviously from a profile point of view, fantastic, loads of energy. I was saying [to him] the other day, ‘[You’re] probably one of the most recognizable people in the world, love you or hate you.’”
McGregor has been supportive of Taylor competing in Ireland since the idea originated to host the rematch between her and Amanda Serrano on Irish soil, and while that second bout didn’t come to fruition, the former two-division UFC champ still wanted to be involved.
The passion of McGregor was shown to Hearn all of fight week, but it was the co-main event that really got McGregor a bit fired up, citing the matchmaking from Hearn when the longtime Irish lightweight champion was stopped in the third round.
“When Gary Cullly lost, he got up and he was like, ‘Why did you put him in with him,” Hearn said of McGregor. “I was like, ‘Well, sorry.’ He said, ‘It’s his homecoming in Ireland, you should’ve given him a can.’
“I was like, ‘That guy’s lost three of his last [five]. Garry Cully was like 50-to-1 odds to win. He traded with his chin in [the air].’ Then I’m thinking, ‘Oh God, please, Katie, don’t lose.”