UFC
If Conor McGregor wins title at UFC 189, UFC wants his first title defense at Croke Park in Dublin
Apr 23, 2015 - 2:40:28 PM If Conor McGregor wins title at UFC 189, UFC wants his first title defense at Croke Park in Dublin

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By: Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

The UFC has put a ton of promotional muscle behind Featherweight Title contender Conor McGregor, and should he take that title from Jose Aldo in July at UFC 189, the plans are even bigger.

In an interview with Setanta Sports, UFC President Dana White says that if McGregor wins the title, they'll target his first title defense for Croke Park in Ireland.

"I'm Irish, Lorenzo is Italian. Lorenzo is Irish now, Lorenzo has turned the corner, he's Irish! We want to do Croke Park, we really do," White said (transcribed by BloodyElbow.com). "If this kid wins that title, we want his first defense to be in Croke Park. Irish MMA is awesome, it's incredible, the way that you guys have burst onto the global scene. I can't wait to come back here and put on another event at the O2 or Croke Park, either one."

Penick's Analysis: The UFC would love to be able to run an event in Croke Park with McGregor as Champion. The stadium configured for a UFC event could bring upwards of 100,000 fans, and if McGregor captures that title the UFC will almost assuredly break their record attendance mark. Of course, they have to figure out the timing of that show, as local ordinance's would require it to end at an earlier time due to noise issues, meaning if it was on pay-per-view in the U.S. it would have to be on during the day. Regardless, if McGregor beats Aldo, the UFC almost has to bring his first title defense to his home country. The spectacle would be fantastic.