FIGHT OF THE CENTURY
All the build-up to the billion dollar battle between undefeated Mayweather and UFC superstar McGregor
THOUSANDS of Conor McGregor supporters have flooded into Las Vegas ahead of tonight’s megafight against Floyd Mayweather. Bar owners ordered in extra supplies of Guinness as the Irishman’s followers threatened to drink Sin City dry. An estimated 15,000 British and Irish fight fans have arrived for the $1billion pay-per-view clash. They will be joined by an astonishing array of celebrities, who have been given ringside seats at the T-Mobile Arena. Angelina Jolie, David Beckham, Beyonce, Jay Z, Kanye West and P Diddy are just some of the stars expected to attend. Demi Lovato, 25, will sing the US national anthem before the bout, which is expected to be a 20,000 sell-out. U2 frontman Bono turned down a last-minute request from McGregor’s camp to sing the Irish anthem before the fight as he is attending a friend’s wedding this weekend. Another star will instead sing the anthem – but their identity was last night being kept under wraps. McGregor’s fans will be hoping the cagefighter can beat his American rival, who has never lost a professional bout. Supporters of “The Notorious” – wearing Ireland football shirts and wrapped in tricolour flags – littered the bars of the Strip yesterday. Outside the Nine Fine Irishmen pub at the New York New York casino, McGregor fans were full of confidence. Conor Walsh, 26, from Dublin, said: “The Notorious will do the business for us Irish – and for the UFC. Don’t worry about that.” Stevie McCarthy, 34, spent 20 hours travelling from Darwin, Australia, to Vegas for the bout. The Belfast native said: “It’s cost me a small fortune and my fiancee isn’t happy, but I had to be here. I’m a huge McGregor fan. That’s why I’ve come all this way. I’ve got a ticket for the fight which cost me £700 and I can’t wait. “Nobody is giving Conor a chance, but I’m confident he’ll win. The Notorious will be victorious.” Carpenters Mark Egan and Philip Mellotte, both 29, flew in from Sydney to
Vegas. Philip, from Donegal, said: “We reckon it’s costing us about £3000 to be here and we don’t have tickets yet.
“But it’s an Irishman fighting the best boxer of all time in Vegas. How could we not be here?”
Mark, from Mayo, added: “I’m a big Conor McGregor fan. I’m predicting a second-round knockout.”
About 1000 tickets remained unsold last night but organisers are confident they will be snapped up.
More than 1200 private jets are expected to fly into the Nevada city’s three airports today. Aviation bosses were forced to tell jet owners to reserve a landing slot to prevent jams on the runway.
Nightclubs have signed up A-list celebrities to host post-fight parties and created boxing-themed cocktails.
P Diddy, Jamie Foxx, 50 Cent and Chris Brown are among those performing over the weekend.
McGregor is expected to make a guest appearance at the plush Encore Beach Club after his fight. Revellers at The Cosmopolitan hotel can sip on special fight cocktails created in McGregor and Mayweather’s honour.
Drinks include the Pretty Boy, Bob and Weave, Ginger Warrior, Fighting Talk and Nocturnal Notorious.
TV giants Showtime are hoping to hit 4million pay-per-view sales in the US alone.
Ticketless British and Irish fans in Vegas must still pay more than £100 just to watch the fight on TV. Most can’t afford to see the action live inside the T-Mobile Arena – with the cheapest tickets going for £1000.
They had hoped to watch the bout on TVs in Irish bars near the city’s famous Strip. But Showtime have slapped a ban on any venue showing the clash after securing a deal with MGM Resorts.
It means McGregor’s fans will have to pay to watch the fight in one of nine “viewing parties” inside MGM hotels – with tickets costing £116.