THIS weekend’s blockbuster bout between Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather could have hit a slight snag – after plans for Bono to sing the Irish national anthem fell through.
The iconic U2 frontman turned down the chance to perform at the fight after a mix-up between the McGregor camp and broadcaster Showtime led to him being asked too late.
The misunderstanding means that a singer has not been booked to perform the Irish anthem with little more than a day to go until the two fighters touch gloves.
“It’s a crazy story,” said UFC president and McGregor promoter Dana White. “Showtime basically popped it on us two days ago saying ‘you guys have to’.
“We thought ‘why do we have to?’ It’s your show. Ok, you want to play it like that? Alright."
White said he had to make frantic phone calls to find an artist for the anthem, turning to Irish singing legend Bono for help.
“I was trying to call Ireland at all the wrong times,” he said. “We called Bono first, he said he wanted to do it but he’s got a wedding this weekend.
“You can’t call these guys with three days’ notice, you know what I mean?”
White, who has faced a torrid week after UFC champion Jon Jones was caught with banned substances in his system, admitted Sunday’s fight has him on edge.
“I’m nervous for the fight. I haven’t been in a situation like this ever. Usually, they (fighters) are both our (UFC) guys getting ready for a big fight but this is a totally different ball game.”
He joked: “If Conor wins, we’ll probably go on a three-week bender. But if Conor loses, we’ll probably go on a three-week bender.”
Luckily, the McGregor camp have managed to secure a singer less than two days out from fight night, but White was reluctant to reveal the star until an announcement has been made.
“We’re very lucky that we pulled this off,” White said. “When we're ready to announce it, we'll let you know how it when down.”
So who could the mystery Irish singer performing at the most anticipated bout in recent memory be?
