Conor McGregor Heaps Praise on Katie Taylor, Urges Boxing Icon to Fight One More Time
Katie Taylor got a fairytale ending to what has been an illustrious boxing career. The 40-year-old walked into Croke Park, Dublin, in front of 83,000 people for what she had already decided would be the final fight of her career.
After 10 rounds, she had beaten Flora Pili, raised her hands to the roaring home crowd, and left her gloves in the middle of the ring. It was the ending Taylor deserved. While the Irish star was ready to close the book, fellow countryman Conor McGregor wasn't quite ready to let her.
“ONE MORE FOR THE MAC” - Conor McGregor Celebrates Katie Taylor's Croke Park Fairytale
McGregor's admiration for Taylor has never exactly been a secret. The two have crossed paths several times over the years, with the 38-year-old famously showing up to support Katie Taylor when she defended her WBA and IBF lightweight titles against Cindy Serrano at TD Garden in Boston in 2018.
As a matter of fact, their friendship has continued to grow alongside their respective journeys at the top of combat sports. When Taylor finally got her Croke Park moment, the “Mystic Mac” had to have a say.
“Katie Taylor, let’s do ONE MORE FOR THE MAC… Well done champ!” he wrote on X, accompanying the message with a picture of himself alongside the pugilist. He followed it up with another picture of the pair, simply writing, “Real love! 🇮🇪 for God and for country!”
Conor McGregor's Career Has Parallels with Katie Taylor's
McGregor's most striking post was a little trip through Irish sporting history. He shared a side-by-side collage of Muhammad Ali's famous 1972 victory over Alvin “Blue” Lewis at Croke Park and Taylor's win over Pili at the same venue. “SENSATIONAL!” the 38-year-old captioned it.
The former UFC double champion, who has himself made Croke Park part of his story, clearly understood what the occasion meant. Despite Taylor announcing her retirement, much like the thousands of fans, he wasn't ready to see the curtain come down.
“Croke Park. We Did It!”: Taylor Gets the Send-Off She Deserved
Her opponent, Pili, arrived in Dublin undefeated at 12-0, but Taylor made sure there was little doubt about how she wanted her final fight to look. The Irishwoman controlled the fight with her jab and movement, rarely allowing her opponent to settle into a rhythm.
When Pili did manage to close the distance, Taylor either punched her way out or tied her opponent up, continuing to dictate the pace through 10 rounds. And the scorecards clearly reflected the one-sided nature of the contest: 100-90, 100-90, and 98-91, all in Taylor's favor.
After the announcers handed the mic to the hometown hero, she addressed the cheering crowd. “Croke Park. We did it!” The emotion of the occasion was impossible to miss. She thanked her family, coaches, friends, and fans, but reserved special appreciation for the thousands who had followed her around the world throughout her career.
Katie Taylor Addresses Fans One Last Time
“Everyone here, you stayed with me. You traveled around the world to watch me. I don't know any other country that would sell 80,000 tickets for a female athlete. I'm convinced this is the only country in the world.”
When promoter Eddie Hearn handed Taylor her gloves for one final walk around the ring, the scene became almost symbolic. Taylor eventually laid them down in the center of the ring alongside her championship belts, eyes and heart full, overjoyed by the warm farewell.
