Eddie Hearn Recalls Wild Conor McGregor Scene During Anthony Joshua Fight

Hearn looks back at McGregor running wild inside the O2 Arena.

Fernando Quiles Jr. | Aug 14, 2023

Eddie Hearn Recalls Wild Conor McGregor Scene During Anthony Joshua Fight /

Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn has looked back on an energetic Conor McGregor attending Anthony Joshua's latest fight.

Joshua shared the ring with Robert Helenius on short notice. AJ was expecting to meet Dillian Whyte, but that plan fell apart after Whyte's VADA test was flagged. Whyte has denied knowingly ingesting a banned substance and said he's working to prove his innocence.

Ultimately, Joshua demonstrated patience in his fight with Helenius, but his face was quite marked up against lower level competition. In the end, Joshua pulled off a one-punch knockout victory in the seventh round.

Anthony Joshua defeats Robert Helenius inside the O2 Arena in London, England with a seventh-round KO. — (via Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing)

Ariel Helwani got a chance to speak to Eddie Hearn on "The MMA Hour" following Joshua's win over Helenius. The Matchroom Boxing head honcho reflected on the insanity of Conor McGregor's presence.

"He comes with his own security," Hearn said. "So, they're all coming ringside, front row and they have security checking people. It was a little bit of madness, but all in all, look, he brings massive eyeballs to the event. So, the broadcast is happy."

Hearn said the moment McGregor arrived, he was urging Hearn to get in the ring with him to celebrate the event.

"When he arrived, he's like, 'Come on, let's get in the ring,'" Hearn recalled. "I'm like, 'What?'"

It didn't take long for the "Notorious" one to enter the ring, and he was in true Conor form. He even gave Joshua a swig of his Forged Irish Stout, and called out KSI for a bare-knuckle boxing match.

"Next thing, he's in there shadow boxing, hitting the canvas," Hearn said.

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Published Aug 14, 2023

FERNANDO QUILES JR.

Fernando has over a decade of combat sports news writing experience. He currently covers MMA, boxing, and pro wrestling. Fernando joined MMA Knockout as the Lead Writer/Editor when it was founded in 2023.