Conor McGregor has been the first in several things. He was the first two-division male champion in Cage Warriors, the promotion he fought for before the UFC. He then joined the UFC and became the first two-division champion there.
‘Mac’ was also the first to become mainstream famous. And he has revealed another, much more surprising first: being the highest-paid first-time actor of all time.
Conor McGregor brags about being the highest-paid debutant actor
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Halle Berry recently took to X (formerly Twitter), asking her followers to tell her something she didn’t know. The former champion felt like replying to this and revealed that he was the highest-paid first-time actor. “I am the highest paid first time actor of all time.” he tweeted. The Irishman has been training for a reimagining of the popular 1989 film Road House, where he will star alongside Oscar-nominated actor Jake Gyllenhall.
The film is about an ex-UFC fighter who is hired as a bouncer for a Florida Keys bar but discovers all is not as it seems on the surface. The MMA superstar has confirmed that he will not play himself in the film, but a fictional character. The action flick is expected to release in late 2023. And he has been paid more than what Hollywood royalty like Tom Cruise and Halle Berry got paid for their first films. The 35-year-old has been juggling shooting for the film and training for his upcoming comeback simultaneously.
In fact, the bombastic Dubliner was in the Dominican Republic recently to shoot his scenes for the film. McGregor has chosen to do all his stunts in the film himself. This is because the UFC fighter felt the stunt double did not look like him, which has left him a bit worse for wear.
I am the highest paid first time actor of all time. https://t.co/IMtocErogy
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 15, 2023
“I’m still recovering. I done all my stunts for this. I didn’t think the stunt double we had looked like me so I wouldn’t have him used. To my detriment. It was hard work,” ‘Mystic Mac’ said about his on-set stint. And it seems his fans will see McGregor on the silver screen before they see him in the Octagon, as ambiguity looms over his upcoming comeback.
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McGregor camp sends contradictory messages on UFC return
Conor McGregor and Dana White had indicated that the Dubliner might fight in April next year at UFC 300. However, the Irishman’s coach, John Kavanagh told Ariel Helwani on the MMA Hour show that the date for his return had been moved up to the summer, possibly July next year. In a subsequent tweet, however, McGregor has claimed that he will indeed make his comeback at UFC 300.
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With contradictory messages coming from his camp, it is uncertain when McGregor will face rival TUF coach Michael Chandler in a welterweight bout at UFC 300. And with the UFC and USADA headed for a split in 2024, the UFC could certify McGregor for an early ’24 comeback. When do you think is the best time for McGregor to return? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
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