"He’s a big brother of mine" - Conor McGregor inspired this NFL star with his 13-second KO of Jose Aldo
An unlikely beneficiary of Conor McGregor's 13-second knockout victory against Jose Aldo at UFC 194 was NFL player Chase Winovich. Back in 2017, the American footballer explained how witnessing McGregor's journey from being a plumber to UFC champion inspired him during the early days of his own career.
The two athletes have formed somewhat of a relationship, with the NFL player seeing the UFC fighter as a bigger brother. They eventually met in New York and have spoken numerous times on social media.
Watch Winovich speak to the Michigan Insider in 2017, before meeting McGregor:
Since meeting the UFC star, the Cleveland Browns defensive end has stated that he sees McGregor as a big brother and feels it's a "pretty cool deal" to have the Irishman as a mentor.
Conor and I have somewhat of a relationship now. I met him in New York City. I’ve FaceTimed him twice. He follows me on Twitter. It’s a pretty cool deal. He’s a big brother of mine.
The 27-year-old is popularly known for trash talk and hyping up games between teams. This was inspired by McGregor's antics in the early days of his UFC career and clearly shows the effect the Irishman has had on Winovich's life.
When Conor McGregor told Dallas Cowboys owner he wants to bring a UFC event to AT&T Stadium
Inspiring young players isn't the only impact on the NFL that Conor McGregor has planned. Back in 2018, the Irishman told the Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, that he wanted to bring the UFC to the AT&T Stadium.
The champ-champ was blown away by the stadium and was excited about the prospect of bringing the octagon to the home of the Dallas Cowboys some day.
While speaking to Jerry Jones, Conor McGregor stated:
Crazy, crazy, it is a spectacle this place (AT&T Stadium). That octagon has got to be in the center one day.
Yesterday at the new and ridiculous @dallascowboys training facility in frisco TX with @Thebeast_ufc @rosenamajunas @ufc https://t.co/mxyNDqu9rr
Dana White had previously thought about booking a UFC event at the stadium during the Covid-19 pandemic. However, White didn't want to use a limited capacity in the stadium and decided against it in the end. But the UFC president did mention that the Dallas Cowboys owner was keen to make an event happen.