Conor McGregor: Brands linked to the mixed martial arts fighter have been affected by the rape case ruling. Illustration: Paul Scottindustry’s go-to news publication was as big a sign as any of McGregor’s seemingly unstoppable journey into the ritzy world of entertainment from the bloodied
It echoes McGregor’s famous line from his post-fight octagon interview at UFC Fight Night Dublin in 2014, when he was at the vanguard of a number of Irish fighters appearing on the promotion. Forged Stout was sold in off-licences and supermarkets and a relatively small number of pubs so the delisting inflicts financial pain. However, for the McGregor brand the real money was in the US. There could be serious implications there too.
McGregor was in full plumage when he claimed to be “the highest-paid first-time actor of all time” for his villain role in Road House, an action thriller remake of a 1980s blockbuster that starred the late Patrick Swayze. He is said to have received $5 million for the role, prompting his claim to have been paid more than wrestler-turned Hollywood starNikita Hand has won her civil case against MMA fighter Conor McGregor.
“In light of the recent court ruling regarding Conor McGregor, IO Interactive has made the decision to cease its collaboration with the athlete, effective immediately,” the company said. Musgrave, owner of the Supervalu and Centra chains, quickly followed. So too did wholesaler BWG, saying it will no longer distribute McGregor-linked brands to Spar, Eurospar, Mace, Londis and XL stores. BWG’s decision removed product from 1,000 outlets. Bigger still was Tesco’s move to delist McGregor brands from more than 4,200 Irish and UK stores and its online shop.
The irony is that McGregor’s “notorious” image once gave business something akin to a golden ticket into the world of young men. Research in 2016 by a sports consultancy then known PSG Sponsorship showed he was the athlete most admired by almost one-in-three Irish people aged 18-34. He was less popular with older people.
That changed with the High Court verdict, no matter that these were civil and not criminal proceedings.