Venues across Sydney are bracing for boxing’s ‘fight of the century’ on Sunday with record numbers of sporting enthusiasts expected to flood pubs, bars and even cinemas.
The clash between Irish UFC sensation Conor McGregor and the undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather is one of the most-hyped fights of all time.
And it seems no one is more excited than Sydney’s Irish contingent with thousands of fans gearing themselves up as they plan to cheer on their fellow countryman.
One eager supporter shared an edited image of Sydney Harbour in disrepair to Facebook group ‘Irish Around Sydney’, including an Irish flag planted on top of the Opera House with an incensed Connor McGregor in the forefront.
It seems no one is more excited than Sydney’s Irish contingent with thousands of fans gearing themselves up as they plan to cheer on their fellow countryman, with one fan taking to Facebook to share this edited image of Sydney Harbour
Conor McGregor fans (pictured at Toronto press conference in July) are expected to turn out in force at venues around Australia
The clash between Irish UFC sensation Conor McGregor (pictured, right) and the undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather (pictured, left) is the most-hyped fight of all time
‘If McGregor wins… I predict Sydney looking like this. And we will apologize to absolutely f****** nobody’, the caption read, paying homage to one of McGregor’s infamous quotes.
Licensed venues around the city are ready to welcome huge crowds of Irish fans as well as thousands of other intrigued punters, with many expecting to be packed before noon.
Pubs are hoping the huge numbers of fans will help quickly recouperate the cost to air the fight – with many paying at least $3000 to air it.
Iconic Irish bars The Tea Gardens and Cock’N’Bull in Bondi Junction will open their doors early with huge crowds anticipated in an area often regarded as the hub of Irish expats in the city.
Iconic Irish bars The Tea Gardens (pictured) and Cock’N’Bull in Bondi Junction will open their doors early with huge crowds anticipated in an area often regarded as the hub of Irish expats in the city
The Cock ‘N’ Bull (pictured) in Bondi say they are showing the fight and many Irish fans will be present
Irish pub Scruffy Murphy’s in Sydney’s CBD say they are preparing for a large mixed crowd, while many are set to head to Pyrmont’s The Star Casino with ample space within it’s sports bar.
Not wanting to miss out on a piece of the action, a range of upmarket bars across the city will also open their doors to patrons wanting to watch the ‘fight of the century’.
Fine dining bar and restaurant Four in Hand in Paddington will be opening their doors early for walk-ins and are fully booked out for their $170 food and drink package.
‘This is a huge day in sporting history, so what better way to enjoy it than with exquisite food and drink, with a great atmosphere avoiding the mayhem of larger establishments’, General Manager Michael MacDougall told Daily Mail Australia.
Scruffy Murphy’s (pictured) in Sydney’s CBD say they are preparing for a large mixed crowd
Fine dining bar and restaurant Four in Hand in Paddington will be opening their doors early for walk-ins and fully booked out for their $170 food and drink package
Double Bay’s The Sheaf and Bondi’s Beach Road Hotel are among several iconic Eastern Suburbs bars to also be showing the fight.
Moving south, Northies in Cronulla will be broadcasting the match-up and will be offering cheap food and drink all day.
‘With a strong reputation for showing sport, we’ve put together a great package including all-you-can-eat wings as well as drink offers to match’, Marketing Manager Alex Barron revealed to Daily Mail Australia.
And in Sydney’s west, The Commerical Hotel in Parramatta has confirmed they will be showing the fight, With a huge projector screen in their beer garden and loads of TV screens through their various bars.
For all those in the Northern Beaches, Manly’s Hotel Steyne has a brand new TV just in time for watching McGregor and Mayweather, while the pub will be offering a pre-fight BBQ for $5 and $6 schooners.
Discounts have not been restricted to food and drink as one Migration specialist is offering free visa consultations for any Irish passport holder if ‘The Notorious’ wins.
Discounts have not been restricted to food and drink as one Migration specialist is offering free visa consultations for any Irish passport holder if ‘The Notorious’ wins
Pubs around Australia are likely to be full to capacity for the hotly anticipated ‘fight of the century’ between Floyd Mayweather (pictured, left) and Conor McGregor (pictured, right)
A staff member at PJ O’Brien’s in Melbourne’s Southbank said they were looking forward to a packed house for the mega-fight, with a large presence of McGregor fans (pictured at the Toronto press conference in July)
Record numbers of fans are expected to turn out to watch the fight between Floyd Mayweather (pictured, left) and Conor McGregor (pictured, right)
The historic bout will be shown in Village and Event Cinemas nationwide, with tickets starting at $28, Fox Sports reported.
Ringside tickets at Las Vegas’s 20,000-seat T-Mobile Arena are going for as much as $70,000, and the fight is being billed as the biggest of all time.
The unprecedented demand has also raised concerns of drunken violence, but police said no special operations were planned, despite several bars confirming extra security will be brought in on the day.
‘There are no specific planned operations in relation to this event [the McGregor Mayweather fight],’ a NSW police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.
Maroubra’s Glasshouse Hotel will not be showing the fight, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Publican Bob Tate said the decision was based on the likelihood of trouble from Irish backpackers.
Conor ‘ The Notorious’ McGregor (pictured) has a 21-3 record in the UFC, is lightweight champion, and considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world
‘It’s primarily the very high risk of anti-social and unacceptable behaviour from the McGregor supporters,’ he said.
His establishment is one of very few venues not showing the fight, and none of the pubs spoken to by Daily Mail Australia said they were worried about significant trouble.
The under card fights start at 11am (AEST) on Sunday August 27, with main event beginning about 2pm.
Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather has a flawless record of 49 wins and zero losses over a 20 year career, a five division world champion and winner of 15 world titles.
Conor ‘ The Notorious’ McGregor has a 21-3 record in the UFC, is lightweight champion, and considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world.
The Irish superstar has made the crossover to boxing after a long period of speculation and trash talk between him and Mayweather.
There has been a massive build-up to the billion-dollar bout, with the fighters holding press conferences in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York, and London.
Mayweather is expected to earn anywhere from $100million to $400million if per-per-view targets are hit.
The boxing legend is a heavy favourite, with Sportbet offering odds of $1.27 for Mayweather and McGregor paying $4.
The Irish superstar (pictured, right) has made the crossover to boxing after a long period of speculation and trash talk between him and Mayweather (pictured, left)