Liam Neeson trashes ‘little leprechaun’ Conor McGregor, says he ‘gives Ireland a bad name’

In 2023, you’d think that the rest of the world has accepted mixed martial arts as a legitimate mainstream sport. But then you have…

By: Milan Ordoñez | 8 months ago
Liam Neeson trashes ‘little leprechaun’ Conor McGregor, says he ‘gives Ireland a bad name’
Bloody Elbow 2.0 | Anton Tabuena

In 2023, you’d think that the rest of the world has accepted mixed martial arts as a legitimate mainstream sport. But then you have those like Hollywood A-Lister Liam Neeson, who still embodies a rather old-school mindset like it was still 1993.

Neeson recently did a Q&A for Men’s Health where he addressed some fan questions, one of them about MMA. Here was his response:

“UFC, I can’t stand. That, to me, is like a bar fight. I know all the practitioners would say, ‘No, you’re wrong! The months of training we do…’ Why don’t you just grab a beer bottle and hit the other guy over the head? That’s the next stage from UFC. I hate it.”

He also had the same unflattering words for fellow Irishman Conor McGregor.

“That little leprechaun, Conor McGregor… oh please. He gives Ireland a bad name. I know he’s fit, and I admire him for that. But, I can’t take it.

“Next time I come in at Dublin Airport… ‘Neeson! I’ll f—ng show you!’”

The 70-year-old Neeson does have a boxing background. As he stated in this 2014 interview, he began training at the age of nine and “won a few titles” before deciding to quit the sport at 17 to focus more on amateur drama.

As for McGregor, he is slated for a return sometime in 2023 against Michael Chandler, whom he is coaching against in the upcoming 31st season of the Ultimate Fighter. However, he has yet to re-enroll himself in the USADA testing pool.

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About the author
Milan Ordoñez
Milan Ordoñez

Milan Ordoñez has been covering combat sports since 2012 and has been part of the Bloody Elbow staff since 2016. He’s also competed in amateur mixed martial arts and submission grappling tournaments.

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