UFC's Conor McGregor and Dana White remember Bruce Lee on his 80th birthday
Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has taken to Twitter to wish the deceased actor, martial artist, and cultural phenomenon Bruce Lee a happy birthday.
Conor McGregor was also joined by UFC President Dana White in paying tribute to the deceased legend.
It is common knowledge that Conor McGregor is a huge Bruce Lee fan and he has paid homage to the legend on numerous occasions. Some of Conor’s moves and phrases are direct tributes to Bruce Lee.
"The Notorious" has even compared himself to Bruce Lee in the past.
The two martial artists do have a lot in common. Both are first, global icons who transcended the thick veil of the discipline associated with martial arts with the mainstream pop culture.
Additionally, both came from backgrounds not traditionally known to the worldwide masses and became mainstream heroes for millions of people worldwide.
Bruce Lee removed the taboo associated with practicing the Eastern world’s martial arts, while Conor McGregor brought MMA to the limelight and contributed to the sport being one of the fastest-growing worldwide.
Bruce Lee passed away tragically in 1973 after suffering from cerebral edema. His legacy however lives in his martial art of Jeet Kune Do.
His martial arts style and displinary thoughts and philosophies are followed by millions of people worldwide today, including several celebrities.
From characters like Law (Tekken) in video games to "The Bride" (Kill Bill) in movies, there have been uncountable homages to the legend in popular culture since his untimely demise.
Conor McGregor set to face Dustin Poirier at UFC 257
Conor McGregor's next outing in the Octagon will be on January 23rd against fellow lightweight contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 257. With Khabib Nurmagomedov announcing his retirement at UFC 254, the bout is billed to have major title ramifications.
Conor McGregor and Dustin last squared off in 2014 in a featherweight division fight, where the latter finished Poirier via a knockout in the first round.
He would then capture two titles in the UFC, before Dustin would be crowned the interim lightweight champion in 2019. It is not officially announced yet, but the fight, in all probability, will take place on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi.
Fight fans may also get to see the recently constructed Etihad Arena. There are talks of live fans even being present at a UFC event since the start of the pandemic.
Dana White also mentioned that he will try and host the International Fight Week around the UFC 257 PPV.