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Five times Conor McGregor put his money where his mouth is for charity

Conor McGregor

Planet Sport takes a look at five random acts of kindness by the Irishman since 2019...

Conor McGregor is a marmite personality. For all of the greatness he has achieved in the UFC, his behaviour inside and outside of the sport has made him one of the most polarizing figures in sport.
The UFC's first simultaneous champion, McGregor is known for wins over Nate Diaz, Jose Aldo and his trilogy series with Dustin Pourier.

His crossover boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather is the second most lucrative fight of all-time and the Irishman reportedly earned a $100million payday.

According to Forbes, McGregor was the richest athlete of 2021, beating Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi with a fortune of $180million. It's no secret that he knows how to splash the cash, but he also invests his money into helping people, communities and charity organisations.

Below, Planet Sport takes a look at some of McGregor's finest work.

1) Building houses for the homeless

In 2019, Conor McGregor took to social media to share his work in progress to help the homeless in his hometown.

"The Notorious" revealed he had been 'back on site' to help finish off building eight houses to provide shelter for families without a home.
"Back on the site today, it has been a while. This is my first property development. We have 8 homes here closing in on finish. 3 bedroom houses, designated for families that currently reside in hotels around the capital, without a home to call their own. But not for long. Through the storm comes the sun!"
"Walking around this land and these homes today, meeting all the neighbours, knowing that soon there will be families living here, creating their own memories, and building back their lives, gives me great pride! Ireland forever! Ireland first! Ireland always!"

2) Donating PPE kits worth over $1million

During the beginning of the global pandemic, Conor McGregor was vocal in throwing his support behind healthcare workers from his native.

In May 2020, McGregor personally delivered PPE kits worth $1million to help Irish hospitals tackle COVID-19.

The MMA superstar shared a private conversation with Irish Minister Paschal Donohoe to his followers on social media, with the 'Notorious' promising to buy equipment for staff workers at hospitals in the Irish capital.
McGregor told the Minister in one of the exchanged messages: "Today I am purchasing myself, one million euros worth of personal protective equipment to be deployed to all the fighting hospitals in the region."

3) Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in County Laois

In 2020, an SBG brand in Ireland was on the verge of shutting down following financial problems caused by the global pandemic.

When Conor McGregor heard about the news, he contacted his former training partner and Philip Mulpeter - the owner of the SBG Portarlington branch. The UFC star vowed to prevent the gym from closing and he delivered on his promise.

"I was like nearly crying (when McGregor called)," Mulpeter told ESPN. "I didn't know what to say to him, to be honest. I'm forever grateful to him. He basically saved our little community. Words can't express what he's done for us.
"I know that he gets bad press. People don't report on it, but he does this stuff all the time. Conor is not looking for gratitude, he's not looking for the media to spread this around."

4) His boyhood soccer club Lourdes FC

Once again, Conor McGregor was at hand - this time for his boyhood soccer club Lourdes FC.

He would pump money into making sure the clubhouse had been repaired as well as investing in their team's training facilities.
McGregor Sports and Entertainment Ltd., a firm owned by the former MMA champion, also sponsored the club's brand new kits.
"I'm delighted with what's happened today. He's brought the community together again. We are a community club. It was a very emotional day for some of them, as you've seen with Eddie (Roche, one of the club's founders)," Carol Lacey - McGregor's former soccer coach, said at the time of the investment.

5) $500K donation to Dustin Poirier's charity

Conor McGregor may have got knocked out by Dustin Poirier in their 2021 rematch at the start of the year but it did not stop him from donating to Poirier's Good Fight Foundation charity.
It is believed he paid out $500k from his purse - the donation made by the former lightweight king will provide underprivileged communities in Louisiana get access to daily meals and health care.
The money will also be used to help build a new gym for underprivileged youth to train in combat sports.

Read more: Behind the Money - Five things you never knew about Floyd Mayweather

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