If there's one thing Conor McGregor is, it's modest. The Irish-born fighter, who is estimated to have earned around $99 million in the last year, is known for his quiet, shy and unassuming nature.
While plenty of athletes are known for living extravagant lives full of watches, yachts, cars and jets, the same can't be said for McGregor. He never gets in trouble, is rarely in the headlines and loves nothing more than taking himself away from the eye of the media and retiring into the distance.
LOL.
Of course, I'm pulling your leg. Conor McGregor is a jacka** and he knows it. In fact, he revels in it. He loves it. It's his brand. Everything Conor McGregor does, sells and promotes is based upon him being the world's biggest jacka**.
But, for all the gusto, for all the bravado and arrogance, Conor McGregor has grown his fanbase ten-fold in the past year or two. His boxing match with Floyd Mayweather was the highest-grossing fight of all time and he was also the most 'Googled' athlete in the US last year. Basically, what I'm saying is: Conor McGregor is a pretty big deal right now and he knows it.
Even outside of the octagon or the ring, McGregor has that star quality that so many people lack. Allegations surrounding his private life dogged the fighter last year and it's also been reported that he ran into trouble with the Irish cartel and destroyed a bus of fighters during a UFC press event. So, it would be safe to say that McGregor knows how to keep his name in the headlines.
But what does a man, who - from the outside looking in - has it all, get for his birthday? Well, the answer will hardly surprise you.
On Saturday, July 14, Conor McGregor will be turning 30. Much like the rest of us, the fighter will more than likely be expecting a cake and some presents... oh, and a life-size statue of himself.
In order to mark the milestone of McGregor's birth, Lithuanian artist Aspencrow, has spent much of the year sculpting a life-size statue of the UFC champion.
The statue depicts the Dubliner emerging from a block of stone and comes in three versions - two of which will be displayed in London galleries and one which will be gifted to McGregor himself.
Speaking about the design, Aspencrow said that he had attempted to combine inspiration from both the past and present in order to create the perfect piece:
"To create the piece, I looked back to antiquity, when athletes were immortalised in sculptures as gods. I combined some details from a Michelangelo statue with modern day graffiti to capture the present day’s warrior sensibilities."
The statue will be unveiled in London's JD Malat Gallery this weekend and has been dubbed as a heroic homage to the fighter.
Not a bad present to receive, right?
