UFC star Conor McGregor has shelled out £8,600 so two Irish twins can compete at the IMMAF youth championships in Abu Dhabi.
Conor McGregor makes two young Irish MMA stars dreams come true
McGregor has been nursing a leg injury during his time away from the Octagon, but he’s still keeping tabs on the mixed martial arts (MMA) scene despite the setback. Especially locally.
Mirror UK reports that the Irish star has donated about €10,000, or £8,600, to help a pair of local Irish twins follow their MMA dreams. Brothers Adam and Dylan Duffy set up a GoFundMe to help them get to Abu Dhabi for the IMMAF youth championships.
However, the duo were struggling to raise the funds until McGregor caught wind of the campaign, and made the big donation. McGregor actually met the duo before, signing toys for them during a meeting at the Black Forge Inn back in January.
Both Adam and Dylan seem extremely grateful for their fellow countryman’s generous contribution.
“I was at training when I found out and my coach told me about it so calmly,” Adam told Gorey Guardian. “I was going insane. I thought he was joking until he showed me the comments. I feel like I have to win now because he donated all that money!”
“We might not have been able to go without his help,” Dylan said. “There are so many gyms out there and he donated to us, which is insane.”
The 13-year-olds will compete in the tournament from August 15 to 21 against some of the best talent the world has to offer. The IMMAF tournaments have gone on to produce talented stars such as UFC star Muhammad Mokaev and Bellator’s Leah McCourt.
If the pair’s mother, Liz, and her post on her sons’ GoFundMe is to be believed, the boys put in a lot of hard work and are eager to show what they can do inside the cage.
“On Sunday May 22, Adam and Dylan got picked for the IMMAF youth squad to represent Ireland in the world championships,” Liz wrote. “They will fly out to Abu Dhabi in August to compete in the worlds.
“Adam and Dylan train hard week in and week out. They never give up. They have the demands of secondary school life and the tons of homework to go with it. They train 5 nights a week sometimes twice a night. They give up their social life to do what they love.
“Making the team has made their year never mind day. We now need to raise them the funds needed to travel out to do what they do best. Anyone who knows the boys know how dedicated they are to the sport.”
McGregor has always supported Irish mixed martial arts at the grassroots level, donating to fighters frequently. The Irish fighter sponsored a number of aspiring fighters, including Bellator featherweight title contender Sinead Kavanagh.
Despite his split from Dustin Poirier after their second bout at UFC 257, Mcgregor donated $500,000 (£430,000) to a Louisiana-based children’s charity, in Dustin’s hometown.
