Real Madrid have reportedly expressed an interest in hosting a Conor McGregor-headlined UFC event at their 81,000 capacity Santiago Bernabeu Stadium during the football offseason.
Per Alvaro Carrera in AS, the UFC is looking to expand its brand into Europe, and Ireland’s McGregor is particularly keen to fight closer to his homeland so his fans do not have to travel so far—the Notorious’ last six fights have all been in the United States.
According to Irish radio station Newstalk (via Carrera), Real would be eager to host a UFC event with McGregor, 28, topping the bill, but it would have to take place “from May to July.”
A Los Blancos representative reportedly said the club would “be glad if we could make a UFC event; our stadium can hold more than 80,000 fans.”
The Bernabeu would likely be an incredible venue for a UFC event and Madrid would be a much more convenient location for McGregor’s Irish-based fans to travel to.
McGregor has a slight connection to the Spanish giants as well having met up with Real superstar Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer:
Per Carrera, McGregor’s first choice for a European-based fight would be Ireland, but bouts on the continent could well become more regular following “the public and commercial success of its recent event in Manchester.”
UFC President Dana White recently revealed that McGregor has made it clear he never wants to fight in Nevada again, per Fox Sports’ The Herd with Colin Cowherd (via Newstalk’s Daniel Kelly).
Five of his last six fights have been hosted in Las Vegas, but he will face Eddie Alvarez in New York at UFC 205 in November for his next bout.
The UFC featherweight champion is moving closer to home by fighting on the east coast of the United States, and it seems he could now make a stop in Madrid to entertain the Bernabeu.
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