Fertitta: McGregor like the Irish Muhammad Ali
Lorenzo Fertitta: “I hate even saying this, but with his gift of gab and his athletic ability and fighting ability, it’s almost like the Irish Muhammad Ali in a way.”
There is no questioning the rise of Conor McGregor in the UFC has been meteoric. He is now of the UFC’s biggest stars and Dana White & Lorenzo Fertitta are impressed:
I don’t know if there’s ever been a fighter we’ve ever had that has what this kid has, White tells USA TODAY Sports and MMAjunkie.
Even UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, who generally takes a more measured approach to his discourse, struggles to mask his enthusiasm for the 26-year-old Irish featherweight, who headlines his first televised UFC event this weekend.
I hate even saying this, but with his gift of gab and his athletic ability and fighting ability, it’s almost like the Irish Muhammad Ali in a way, Fertitta says. To compare anybody to Ali is kind of stupid because of all the other great things that were associated with him from a social movement and everything else. But Conor has just got that sparkle, that thing to him.
Wherever he goes – whether we put him on TV, whether he’s doing an interview, whether he’s around a group of people – he just is the center of attention. He’s got that special quality, and for a guy that’s fought in the UFC four times to have the interest of GQ Magazine, Men’s Health, ESPN? He’s got it.