Father Tony McGregor Shines a Light on “The Real Conor McGregor”

Conor McGregor is one hell of a fighter. If there was any doubt left in that regard, he erased it last Saturday, when he effortlessly knocked out lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez to become the first fighter in UFC history to hold titles in two weight classes concurrently.

In addition to his reputation as an incredible fighter, McGregor is also known as a brash and boundlessly confident personality. He’s developed this rep over the course of dozens of press conferences and post-fight interviews, throughout which he’s verbally pumped his own tires and slashed those of nearly every other fighter on the UFC roster.

Then, of course, there’s his love for the luxurious, which only inflates his bravado. The Irish superstar is often photographed whipping around in his white Lamborghini, decked out in Versace silk or Gucci mink, left arm weighed down by glimmering watches that look like they weigh as much as a car batteries.

This all-confidence, all-flash version of McGregor is the one that the public knows. According to McGregor’s father Tony, however, McGregor comports himself much differently in his private life.

“All they see is the brash person, the confidence, the arrogance, but he actually is quite private as well,” the elder McGregor told British journalist Jonathan Shrager. “At home, he will walk the dogs, cycle around on his Lo-Cal, and he likes to put his feet up and just crash out on the sofa in his off time.”

“He likes his downtime, his hometown and his own time,” the McGregor family patriarch continued. “He’s very private as well.”

“He’s still his mother’s son. He still has two sisters and even a lovely nephew now. He can still rock up to our house, sit down and have a cup of coffee with us. He’s still just Conor to us.”

McGregor’s father then elaborated on his son’s tendency to keep a tight-knit group of friends and allies.

“Conor is very loyal to his close people and you’ve got to remember they all rose from nothing as well,” he explained. “His coach, his team members. They just rocked up to the gym with a backpack on their back and that’s all they had.”

“He just keeps it very tight. The rise and ascent to stardom has been so quick, so meteoric that a lot of people have tried to latch on, but Conor has good peripheral vision and Conor is quick to see people trying to penetrate that inner circle. They don’t get far. He will bring them in, use them if he needs them and then let them go if he doesn’t need them. The core circle is very, very tight.”

Are you surprised to learn that McGregor is different when the cameras aren’t rolling? Sound off, PENN Nation!