Conor McGregor is one of the cover athletes for this year’s EA Sports UFC 2 video game and as of right now his next fight is shrouded in mystery, but the release date of UFC 2, March 15th, may give a big clue to when McGregor will return.
UFC 197 was scheduled to take place in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil on March 5th but the UFC has since backed away from confirming the event. Former-UFC champion Anderson Silva said he was informed that the venue was changed, which the UFC seems to back up. The fight could still land in Brazil but it’s also possible that McGregor can persuade the UFC to let him defend his featherweight title in Ireland.
McGregor has been clamoring to host a title fight at Dublin’s Croke Parke futbol stadium. It’s unlikely that lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos will travel to Ireland to defend his belt, so it’d be Conor’s on the line that night. If the PPV stays in Brazil I wouldn’t put it past Conor asking for the RDA fight in the champ’s home country.
What does this all have to do with a video game?
The UFC usually pairs the release of the game around its star athletes’ fights. A Conor McGregor win or loss would do wonders to promote the video game and build buzz around the sport.
For now its pure speculation but it’d be a savvy business move for both the UFC and EA Sports.
Take a look at some in-game action of EA Sports UFC 2: