Vancouver bar owners are preparing for Saturday’s hotly anticipated ‘superfight’ in which undefeated boxing legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC champion Conor McGregor go head to head.
Jordan Flynn owns Donnellan’s Irish Pub on Granville Street, where he’s expecting a crazy evening.
“We released our tickets two weeks ago and within a day it completely sold out to our capacity, that’s 185 people,” Flynn said.
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“Any other bars that I’ve talked to have all sold out as well. So we’re expecting kind of from early, I know people have said they’re going come out, you know, four, five o’clock in the afternoon, they’re going be here all day.”
Tickets to other sold-out fight-night events around the city are listed on the site with prices ranging from $50-$100 each.
Flynn said while professional fights can get a crowd riled up, he doesn’t anticipate trouble and hasn’t hired on extra security.
“UFC has always kind of been known where it brings a mob atmosphere, definitely heightens the male hormones,” he said.
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“When Conor McGregor’s fighting especially, it kind of brings out more of a party atmosphere, there’s not really many riots or fights, everyone’s more kind of enjoying themselves and having a good time.”
He added that he isn’t concerned about aggressive behaviour spilling out into the Granville entertainment district, and that he’s been impressed with how police have monitored the area during the weekends over the last few years.
Forty-year-old Mayweather is going into Saturday’s fight undefeated, with a 49-0 record and 26 knockouts. He retired in 2015, but announced in June he’d head back to the ring to fight McGregor.
Dublin-born McGregor is an MMA fighter with a 21-3 record and 18 knockouts, but has never fought a pro boxing match.
Saturday’s fight kicks off at 6 p.m.
-With files from Katie Dangerfield