Conor McGregor has seemingly responded after Liam Neeson sensationally called him a “little leprechaun.”
The “Taken” actor, 70, didn’t hold back giving his two cents on the UFC star, telling Men’s Health that the outspoken fighter “gives Ireland a bad name.”
While McGregor, 34, didn’t respond to Neeson directly, he rushed to Twitter to share a related thought, writing, “Irish proud – always,” alongside the Ireland flag.
In his interview with the magazine Thursday, Neeson made his thoughts on McGregor and the UFC perfectly clear.
“That little leprechaun Conor McGregor, he gives Ireland a bad name,” the actor said. “I know he’s fit, and I admire him for that. But I can’t take it.”
Neeson also said he “can’t stand” the UFC as he likened it to a “bar fight.”
“I know the practitioners are like, ‘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 of the UFC. I hate it.”
Neeson’s blunt remarks came just days before McGregor’s return to the ring was announced by UFC boss Dana White.
The Irishman is set to face Michael Chandler after the pair will coach against each other on the forthcoming season of “The Ultimate Fighter.”
White did not reveal a date or location for the fight, but said that details will be announced “soon.” The bout will most likely take place at 170 pounds.
This will be McGregor’s first fight in the octagon since he broke his leg in a bout against Dustin Poirier in July 2021. Chandler is 2-3 since coming over from Bellator in 2021.
The 34-year-old McGregor has remained near-constantly in the news despite the absence from fighting. Last week, he said on Instagram that he had been struck by a car while biking.
“I could’ve been dead there, mate, look,” McGregor said in the video.
McGregor also faced allegations in January that he assaulted a woman on his yacht in Spain last summer. The unidentified woman reportedly told police in Ireland that she “feared for her life,” and that he kicked her and punched her in the face. She also alleged that he threatened to drown her.
Through a spokesperson, McGregor denied the allegations.