Conor McGregor reacts to Oleksandr Usyk imitating his infamous 'Billi strut' after meeting him backstage at Joshua vs. Dubois event
Conor McGregor had an endearing interaction with unified heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk backstage at the Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois fight. The Ukrainian legend was taking part in an interview before being approached by the Irishman.
The two exchanged greetings, and as McGregor walked off, Usyk mimicked the former's 'Billi strut' which he performs every time he walks into the octagon. It is among the many aspects that have made 'The Notorious' a unique presence in the combat sports world.
Check out Oleksandr Usyk mimicking Conor McGregor (0:16):
McGregor himself took to X to share footage of the pair's encounter, reacting to Usyk's rendition of his 'Billi strut' with a laughing face emoji. The two men are from different worlds, with McGregor being one of the most iconic mixed martial artists of all time.
Meanwhile, Usyk is among the greatest heavyweight boxers of all time. In fact, he has twice beaten Joshua, who is a good friend of McGregor's. The Ukrainian star is currently undefeated, and has also beaten Dubois, albeit in controversial fashion. McGregor, though, is no stranger to the boxing world.
In the past, he faced an all-time great in Floyd Mayweather Jr. Despite giving a good account of himself, 'The Notorious' was out of his depth. He failed to hurt Mayweather and tired massively before finding himself on the receiving end of numerous unanswered blows to the head.
This convinced the referee to wave the fight off in round 10, awarding Mayweather the TKO win, much to McGregor's chargin, who would have much rather hit the canvas than be spared.
Conor McGregor's 'Billi strut' was originally Vince McMahon's
While Conor McGregor is now synonymous with the 'Billi strut,' which is short for the 'Billionaire strut,' it is actually an homage to former WWE chairman Vince McMahon. The 79-year-old originally used the strut as part of his theatrical ring entrance during his professional wrestling days.
Check out Conor McGregor and Vince McMahon's strut:
McGregor borrowed it due to his aspirations of one day becoming a billionaire. Now, the world associates the mannerism with him more than anyone else, which was by design.