Conor McGregor fans react as UFC star poses for photo with Ebanie Bridges

Conor McGregor landed himself in hot water with fans online after posing for photos with Ebanie Bridges on Saturday. The former UFC champion, who is closing in on a return to action after breaking his leg in 2021, was in Dublin for Katie Taylor’s super-welterweight title fight with Chantelle Cameron.

Irishman McGregor was left bitterly disappointed after Cameron successfully defended her title, inflicting a first-ever professional defeat on Taylor while maintaining her own 18-0 record.

IBF female bantamweight title holder Bridges was also in attendance, supporting Northampton-based Cameron in the defence of her own title. But despite backing opposing fighters, Bridges and McGregor posed for photographs at ringside, which the Aussie then posted on Twitter.

The ‘Blonde Bomber’ tweeted: “Ringside with the one and only @TheNotoriousMMA.”

It wasn’t long before McGregor fans on Twitter aired their views on the photos, suggesting that the MMA star’s fiancee, Dee Devlin, would not be happy about it.

Twitter user @90nadz1 said: “I can’t see Dee will be impressed with these pictures! Just imagine if the shoe was on the other foot…”

@JR9187 wrote: “@DeeDevlin1 the world’s most patient woman.” And @Joshjoshmma said: “Dee not happy with that.”

Another Twitter user @exception379 suggested McGregor would be in for a rough evening, saying: “I can imagine the conversation with Dee when he gets home already.”

Despite losing on the night, Taylor is expected to activate her right to a rematch with Cameron, but it is the latter who will be able to set the terms, meaning the possibility of a new date in Northampton for her own homecoming event.

McGregor had provided sponsorship for the Taylor vs Cameron title fight in Dublin, working with Eddie Hearn to promote his McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout and Tidl recovery spray brands. And the former two-weight UFC champion could work with Hearn again should a proposed professional boxing match against Canelo Alvarez get the go-ahead.

McGregor is set to make an imminent return to UFC’s anti-doping programme for drug testing ahead of his next fight, which is expected to be against Michael Chandler, although no date has yet been agreed.

UFC’s rules stipulate that fighters who retire or remove themselves from the testing pool must undergo drug testing for a six-month period before they can competitively return to the sport. But when asked if he would be prepared to take on boxer Mexican Alvarez in his own specialised sport, McGregor said: “No f*****g problem.”