Owner is “Forever Grateful” to Conor McGregor For Saving MMA Gym

Even the biggest Conor McGregor fan knows the star has been tied to his fair share of controversies and incidents. But, the former UFC champ has also made news for his generosity, and that’s happening again.

SBG Portarlington owner is “forever grateful” to McGregor

Recently the Straight Blast Gym affiliate in Portarlington, Ireland reported via Instagram that thanks to funding from McGregor, the gym is not closing down. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gym would have been forced to shut down operations, if not for McGregor’s intervention.

From the lowest low to the highest high.

WE ARE NOT CLOSING!!

Our team-mate and friend @thenotoriousmma has decided to help us out and keep the gym running. We will be eternally grateful ?

To everyone that messaged and got in touch with us to show your support, thank you all so much.

See you all on the mats.

Oss!!

In a follow-up interview with ESPN, the gym’s owner, Philip Mulpeter, reported this.

“We’ve had three lockdowns now, and I think after each lockdown it’s hard to get the same numbers back in,” Mulpeter reported.

“People lose the routine and just our numbers were dropping. Every time there was a new lockdown, we got deeper and deeper into debt. …

Our landlord wasn’t giving us any break on the rent or anything like that. We had to decide to shut the doors for good.”

“I was like nearly crying there,” Mulpeter said, while reflecting on McGregor’s call. “I didn’t know what to say to him, to be honest.

I’m forever grateful to him. He basically saved our little community.

Words can’t express what he’s done for us. I know that he gets bad press. People don’t report on it, but he does this stuff all the time.

Conor is not looking for gratitude, he’s not looking for the media to spread this around.”

Mulpeter also reported the following, about his call with McGregor.

“He was just like, ‘You’re doing a f—ing amazing job, you’ve created an amazing community at the gym,'” Mulpeter said.

“And he’d seen all the support online from all the parents and kids [who go to the gym]. It’s like Santa coming early for us.”

Classy move

Even the biggest McGregor haters have to admit that this was a pretty classy move by the star. It’s also not that surprising, given that McGregor has given money to various causes in the past.

This past year, he purchased and donated large amounts of medical supplies and protective gear in the battle against COVID-19.

McGregor is booked to fight Dustin Poirier on January 23rd at UFC 257. The two fought in 2014 and Poirier was stopped in the first round.