It's common to see great athletes from different sports paying their respects to the crafts of their counterparts. Even when the fields differ greatly, these men and women share similar stories of perseverance, dedication, and resilience.
This past weekend, New York Giants star receiver Odell Beckham Jr. expressed his appreciation for the greatness of Conor McGregor.
Beckham attended the UFC 205 at Madison Square Garden on Saturday evening, sitting ringside to watch McGregor earn a lightweight belt via knockout. He is the first MMA fighter to hold belts in two classes simultaneously (holds featherweight as well).
After becoming the fastest player in NFL history to record 3,500 receiving yards on Monday night, Odell spoke about the inspiration he draws from McGregor.
From Matt Cohen of Giants.com:
“I set the bar high for myself,” Beckham said after the game. “I kind of had some late inspiration. I went to the UFC fight and I went there to watch McGregor and just a guy who is very strong in his beliefs and sure enough, he backs it up every time. Just sitting there watching him do his thing gave me more motivation.”
Beckham has used athletes from sports other than MMA to motivate him as well:
“I usually go to things like that for inspiration,” Beckham said. “I like seeing guys in their atmosphere. Even when I was going to the US Open and I was watching them play tennis, it is just something about seeing someone else in their own zone and sure enough, after he won the fight, that was my first UFC fight ever and everybody is tweeting at me asking me why am I mad that he won, I am like, ‘I came here to see him.’ My mind is just wired differently.”
After the fight, Odell Beckham Jr. had the chance to meet McGregor, chronicling the event on Instagram:
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