What is the meaning of 'Rian', the name of Conor McGregor's third child?
Conor McGregor welcomed his third child, Rian McGregor, on Monday. The former UFC double champion took to Instagram to make the grand announcement. While congratulations are in order for the McGregor clan, we do wonder what the name Rian means.
Rian, as it transpires, is an ancient Irish name. It is believed to be a diminutive form of ri, which means king. Hence, Rian literally means "little king."
Given Conor McGregor's charismatic persona, it shouldn't come as a surprise that 'The Notorious One' has decided to name his third child Rian. Throughout his career, McGregor has often labeled himself a "king."
Rian had often implied so in the early stages of his career when he was competing as a featherweight.
During his iconic bout against Jose Aldo, McGregor had taunted the live crowd in Brazil, claiming that the Irishman "owns" Rio de Janeiro. Throughout his career, Aldo has been regarded as 'The King of Rio' and hence McGregor's taunt was all the more provocative.
However, the most high-profile instance of McGregor labeling himself a "king" took place when he defeated Nate Diaz in their historic rematch. After suffering his first-ever UFC loss to Diaz, the Irishman went on to beat his arch-rival at UFC 202.
In his post-fight interview, Conor McGregor immediately grabbed the mic from Joe Rogan's hand and delivered an iconic statement:
"Surprise, surprise, the king is back!"
When will Conor McGregor fight again?
Conor McGregor's next fight is scheduled for UFC 264 in July. Much like his rematch against Nate Diaz, the Irishman will aim to take revenge after suffering another major loss to Dustin Poirier.
At UFC 257, 'The Diamond' got the better of McGregor, finishing him via TKO. McGregor's goal would be to put his first TKO/KO loss behind him and get back to winning ways as he aims to capture the UFC lightweight title once again.
Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier will meet for the third time on July 10th, in the main event of UFC 264.