Conor McGregor set for a notorious evening in Birmingham

Probably the most talked about sportsman – if not human being – on the planet this weekend, Conor McGregor, is set to bring his brand of showmanship to Birmingham next month.

The mixed martial arts expert, who is the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s reigning Lightweight Champion, and former UFC Featherweight Champion, is set to earn himself around $100m tomorrow (Saturday) night in a fight – or publicity stunt, depending on your point of view – with former world boxing champion, Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The fight, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, has made headlines in the sporting press and beyond, since it was first announced and the hype surrounding the contest – even though it is non-championship – has been unprecedented, even for a sport as high profile as boxing.

Opinion is divided on the event, with boxing purists totally condemning the bout and dismissing it as pure entertainment.

Regardless of this, the fight is likely to be intense in a way not seen before.

While 12 years senior to McGregor, the 40-year-old Mayweather Jr is seen by many as the favourite, mainly due to the contest being conducted according to the rules of boxing.

However, win, lose or draw, McGregor will retain his box office appeal and the event only serves to whet the appetite for fight fans in Birmingham – and beyond – for his appearance in the city next month.

‘An Evening With Conor McGregor’, which will include a live interview by the fighter, will take place at the newly-christened Arena Birmingham – until September 1, the Barclaycard Arena – on Thursday September 28.

Dubliner McGregor began his mixed martial arts (MMA) career in 2008 and in 2012, he won the Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Championships, holding both titles before signing with UFC. In 2015, he defeated José Aldo for the UFC Featherweight Championship with a knockout 13 seconds into the first round, which was the fastest victory in UFC title fight history.

He is known for being the biggest pay-per-view draw in MMA history and in 2016, he was the first MMA fighter to crack into the Forbes top 100 highest paid athletes list.

Despite his huge MMA success, McGregor has continued to maintain an interest in competitive boxing and after Saturday, the world will have a much clearer picture of his capabilities.

Ticket details for the Birmingham event will be announced shortly.