Caolan Loughran hails 'inspirational' Conor McGregor despite recent 'fall-out'

"He’s actually fallen out with me if I’m being honest. I don’t carry grudges though I don’t mind."

UFC star Caolan Loughran likely wouldn't be in the position that he is in now if it wasn't for Conor McGregor.

As a teenager obsessed with MMA, Loughran received strange looks from friends when they heard he was training to be a cage-fighter.

McGregor's arrival onto the UFC scene in 2013 legitimised the sport, cultivating a surge in popularity and transforming it from a fringe sport to one of the most popular pastimes on the island.

READ MORE:Caolan Loughran 'relieved' to get back in the win column as he plots successful 2024

Like most fighters of his vintage, 27-year-old Loughran credits McGregor as an 'inspiration'. The Tyrone native is still full of praise for the Dubliner, even if he admits that the pair aren’t on the best of terms at the moment.

“He was (An inspiration). He’s actually fallen out with me if I’m being honest. I don’t carry grudges though I don’t mind.

"He was absolutely an inspiration. That whole generation was of course inspired by McGregor. When I was 16 starting off in this sport, people looked at you like you were f****** nuts doing MMA.

"And then he made it cool all of a sudden. He changed the game forever."

It's been nine years now since the UFC last came to Dublin and a full decade since McGregor fought in front of his hometown. The Irishman returns to the Octagon in July when he takes on Michael Chandler, and for the first time in years, a UFC event coming to Dublin could be a live possibility.

Loughran was just 17 when McGregor knocked out Diego Brandao at the 3Arena and admits that getting a place on a potential Dublin card would be the 'the stuff of dreams.'

“It’s been a long time. The McGregor v Brandao one I remember it like it was yesterday.

"I was in school and I couldn’t afford a ticket. So, if I got on a UFC Dublin card it would quite literally be the stuff of dreams, that would be special."

Watch Caolan Loughlan’s recent fights on UFC Fight Pass, the home to world-class combat promotions and major sporting events, giving fans access to thousands of hours of content and live events worldwide.

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