Liam Neeson is not a fan of fighter Conor McGregor or the United Fighting Championship’s mixed-martial arts style. In a fan Q&A video with Men’s Health, the “Taken” actor dismissed his fellow Irishman as “a little leprechaun” who “gives Ireland a bad name.”
In the video, the 6’4” actor ranted, “That little leprechaun Conor McGregor, oh please. He gives Ireland a bad name. I know he’s fit, and I admire him for that. But I can’t take it.” McGregor, who at 34 is less than half Neeson’s age, is 5’9.”
“UFC I can’t stand,” Neeson added. “That to me is like a bar fight. I know the practitioners are like, ‘No, you’re wrong… the months of training we do…’ Why don’t you just grab a beer bottle and hit the other guy over the head? That’s the next stage of the UFC. I f—ing hate it.”
Neeson predicted that McGregor wouldn’t take his insult well and will be waiting for him when he’s back in Dublin: “Next time I come in a Dublin Airport, [he’ll be shouting] ‘Neeson! We’ll f—ing show you!’”
Turns out Neeson was a boxer himself in his youth: According to Irish Central, he won the Northern Ireland heavyweight amateur boxing title in 1971, but gave up the sport after suffering a hand injury.
The “Cold Pursuit” star’s new film, “Marlowe,” in which he plays the famous Raymond Chandler detective, is out on Feb. 15.
Meanwhile, McGregor is set to make his feature film acting debut opposite Jake Gyllenhaal in Doug Liman’s “Roadhouse” remake.
