Eddie Hearn says he will never forget the meeting he had with Conor McGregor to discuss Katie Taylor fighting at Croke Park.
The Matchroom boss flew into Dublin to meet with the UFC star back in February, with McGregor offering to help with the security costs associated with hiring GAA Headquarters later this year.
Taylor will aim to become a two-weight undisputed champion when she faces Chantelle Cameron for the Northampton native's light-welterweight belts at the 3Arena next month.
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And the Bray Bomber could go on to finally fight at Croke Park in September if successful against Cameron on May 20.
Speaking on his meeting with McGregor, Hearn told The MMA Hour: "I know everyone’s got their opinion. I always take people how I see them, right? So you hear this, you hear that, you hear this, you hear that. I had [lunch with McGregor] — I don’t know how long it was, an hour-and-a-half, two hours — just the funniest time.
"I love great energy, and this guy is just a pure character. It was like being at a press conference.
"He comes in, and just the energy and the enthusiasm — that’s one thing that I took out of is, you know that in boxing, and this obviously sits alongside MMA as well, you fall in love with the sport. He is so passionate about boxing, about mixed martial arts — he wouldn’t sit down.
"He’s ordered a steak, he’s standing up, he’s showing me how he’d fight this guy and how fight that guy, and he’s telling me about the Nate Diaz fight, when he’s on his back and he’s got a bad knee. It’s like a million miles an hour. But he’s like, ‘We should do this, we should do that. Let’s do this. Let’s make it happen.’
"I love him. I think he’s such a character. In life, you want to be around people where you go, ‘I’ll never forget you.’ I’ll never forget that moment with Conor McGregor.”
The promoter added: "I know that there is an element to everything that everybody does about publicity and exposure, but he has a genuine passion for Katie. He loves Katie Taylor. He thinks she’s amazing.
"She’s a hero in that country, and he wanted to help make it happen for her, for Ireland as well. And I’m sure he gets [bad press], because everybody does when they reach those kinds of heights, but I had a great time. I really did.
"I was lucky that I was catching a flight back, because we had some of that Irish stout, and next thing you’ve got the Apple Proper Twelves, and next thing, who knows what’s going to happen with Conor McGregor?
"But we’ve been speaking to him and [manger] Audie [Attar] about supporting the event with those brands, and they look like they’re going to get behind it and push it, and then hopefully we can move that to Croke Park after."
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