If there was any doubt left as to whether Conor McGregor is now a mainstream star, the fact that Ben Affleck just likened his Batman character in the new blockbuster ‘Batman Vs Superman’ movie to the UFC featherweight champion should provide the answer.
Affleck name-dropped McGregor when asked about how his version of the comic book character differs from others who’ve played the role in the past, like Christian Bale, George Clooney, Val Kilmer and Michael Keaton.
“He’s a little bit more of a brawler,” Affleck told Reuters. “You kind of get a feeling like physical, visceral slugger thing. The fights are more like smash-mouth, kind of UFC-influenced. Like Conor McGregor style.”
That’s quite a compliment for McGregor, especially coming just weeks after he suffered a submission loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196. Apparently that didn’t damage his star power, and like his female counterpart Ronda Rousey it appears that he has now become an influential figure beyond just the fight game.
However, don’t expect McGregor to follow in Rousey’s footsteps to Hollywood any time soon as the 145lb champ has actually just cancelled a role in Vin Diesel’s new ‘XXX’ sequel since he apparently doesn’t want the distraction and is eager to devote his full attention to getting back to winning ways in the UFC.
He’ll likely get the chance to do just that at UFC 200 in July which he’s expected to headline, with an immediate rematch against Nate Diaz currently rumored to be in the works.
