McGregor finds comfort in Las Vegas during training for UFC 189
Like any typical summer rental full of 20-somethings in Las Vegas, the bodies don’t begin to stir at the so-called “Mac Mansion” until well after noon on most days.
But this is no party house.
There is serious business going on, as the most prominent inhabitant prepares for the biggest professional opportunity of his career.
Conor McGregor rented the sprawling seven-bedroom estate in Green Valley for the sole purpose of bringing his entire training camp to Las Vegas to prepare for what was expected to be a featherweight title bout against longtime champion Jose Aldo in the main event of UFC 189 on Saturday at the MGM Grand.
That all changed when Aldo suffered a rib injury less than three weeks before what was one of the most marketed fights in Ultimate Fighting Championship history.
McGregor will still fight, though it will be for an interim belt against Chad Mendes.
Not much bothers McGregor, though. He had been predicting Aldo would pull out of the fight since the day it was announced. The late switch from a striker to a wrestler as an opponent didn’t seem to faze the 26-year-old Dublin native, who has combined an exciting style with a brash, entertaining persona to become one of the biggest stars the organization has ever seen after just five fights, none of which have come against top-tier contenders.
‘EVERY SINGLE ONE’
“The approach for me was I came in and I told them that I was going to destroy everyone in the division,” McGregor said. “One by one, I would get every single one of them. I said that time and time again. It was never about the champion. It was never about any of that. It was about me destroying every single one of these featherweights, and essentially making it a one-man division. So it doesn’t matter what way it happens, whether it’s Jose first, Chad first. They’re all going to get it.
“Every single one of them is going to get it.”
McGregor has backed up the bravado, knocking out four of the five opponents and controlling all 15 minutes of his only UFC fight to go the distance.
It has all led him to the brink of wearing UFC gold, a moment he has been predicting since his debut in April 2013. McGregor decided to rent the house in Green Valley for his entire team to congregate in one place to prepare for the fight.
“It’s the evolution of fight preparation,” he said. “That’s why we’ve done it.”
With the entire team — the number of residents has fluctuated a bit throughout the stay, but is currently around 12 — in one place, the entire focus is on ensuring McGregor brings a UFC belt back to the house on Saturday night.
Even the one-gallon water bottles McGregor carries around play a role in the process.
His longtime girlfriend, Dee Devlin, the quiet yin to McGregor’s yang who serves as almost a de facto house mom, writes inspirational messages on the containers each morning.
Some of his favorites, like “G.O.A.T.” for greatest of all time and “#andnew” for the hashtag that typically trends on Twitter when a new UFC champion is crowned, are prominently displayed on the counter in the kitchen.
Even amenities that on the surface appear to be only recreational in nature serve a purpose.
The pool and massage table outside the 12,000-square foot house see plenty of action and the fire pit gets put to use at night, all part of the plan. Everything is set up to balance out the day’s evening training session, which takes place around 8 p.m. in “The Ultimate Fighter” gym near the Palms.
McGregor’s fight will take place just a bit after that time on Saturday, so the crew has tried to keep his workouts around the time he will be competing. Based on the social media accounts of some of the house’s inhabitants, most of the activity there takes place in the overnight hours.
That group includes Tom Egan, a friend and training partner of McGregor. He’s also a bit of a trailblazer. Egan, who has known McGregor since high school, was the first Irish fighter to compete in the UFC when he lost to John Hathaway in 2009.
It was Egan’s only appearance in the organization, but it made a mark on McGregor, who has cited watching his friend walk to the octagon in Dublin as the moment he realized what was possible for him.
Egan was among the first to arrive at the house in early May, two days after McGregor moved in to get settled.
“It’s not a vacation, that’s for sure,” Egan said. “The concept is to get as much rest as possible so the workout we do in the evening time is a very quality workout. We’re not so much about quantity, but very much about quality.
“Conor and (head coach) John Kavanagh often talk about how it’s so important to keep yourself fresh, keep your mind fresh. There’s no point in leaving it all in the gym, as they say, where you work so much you left all your fire in the gym. So we want to make sure we’re refreshed and then the training is smart.”
VISIT FROM SCHWARZENEGGER
They’ve also managed to stay somewhat anonymous, which might have been another factor in McGregor’s decision to train in Las Vegas. While he is popular around the world, his star shines brightest in his native Ireland.
He spoke of making a quick run to the Smith’s store on Green Valley Parkway, a simple jaunt that would be almost impossible in Dublin.
On a recent Thursday, as temperatures soared well over 100 degrees, McGregor took to the streets of Henderson for a seven-mile run. He said he has been able to keep a low profile in the quiet neighborhood, even on the day Arnold Schwarzenegger, an avowed fan of McGregor, showed up at the house.
While McGregor got to spend a brief moment of his camp with one of his idols, he also has used his time to serve as a mentor.
Two of his houseguests will compete for the Irish team in the IMMAF world championship of amateur MMA during UFC Fight Week leading up to McGregor’s bout.
“This is my second time in America, but my first time in Las Vegas. It’s every fighter’s dream,” said 18-year-old James Gallagher. “You don’t have to do anything except what you love. Coming to Las Vegas, the UFC gym and the Mac Mansion is surreal.”
McGregor has even hinted at the possibility of buying the house, which he believes to be valued at $2.2 million. McGregor, who will receive a hefty paycheck Saturday that can be significantly bolstered should the broadcast do big numbers on pay-per-view, will first purchase a house in Ireland.
“I miss Dublin,” he said. “I miss my home. I miss my dog, I miss my friends and family. I look forward to returning with the gold, and that makes it all worthwhile. I probably will eventually have a house out here just because the UFC is based out here and I will be running the promotion one day, I feel, so I will have a house out here.
“But make no mistake, Dublin is my home.”
‘A VERY SMART MAN’
While McGregor chuckled at his own suggestion of taking over the company, his doubters have been proven wrong before. His ascension to superstardom has been unprecedented. His brilliance in the cage has been surpassed only by his ability to self-promote, a talent he says stems from just being himself.
McGregor might not be giving himself enough credit.
“Since we first met in high school and began working out together and hanging out, I certainly knew that he would do something big,” Egan said. “He’s a smart man. He’s got all the abilities in the world to be a world champion, which he will be on July 11, but he’s also a very smart man that knows how to build himself. Nobody, not even Brock Lesnar, who came from a large fan base, has had the impact and interest that Conor has.
“He’s a very smart man.”
McGregor has been right about a lot of things during his time in the UFC. If he’s correct about what’s going to happen Saturday night, there’s likely to be quite a party in Green Valley well into Sunday morning.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj.
