December 24, 2023
In a visually awkward interaction, Cristiano Ronaldo found himself subjected to Conor McGregor's ringside jabbering as the two sat next to each other at heavyweight boxing’s Day of Reckoning event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The two had previously met several times but their most recent interaction came as a surprise to many as Ronaldo paid little-to-no attention to the Irish superstar for the most of the time they sat next to each other, reported Telegraph.
Ronaldo was already seated when McGregor walked in, the Portuguese star didn’t pay any attention to the 34-year-old's arrival and the two didn’t even shake hands.
As soon as McGregor sat, seeing no response from the former Manchester United player, he engaged in a conversation with Turki Alalshikh, who was sitting next to Ronaldo. The two kept talking for a good 30 seconds, but the 38-year-old remained silent sitting with an awkward look on his face throughout their conversation. Although, he did have a smile at the end.
However, their interaction wasn’t entirely dull as after some minutes of awkwardness, the two got along and were also seen having a happy time while comparing their watches.
Ronaldo and McGregor are two of the most popular sports personalities in the world and calling them the “face” of their respective sports wouldn’t be wrong, as both have achieved immense success.
The former Real Madrid player is known to have a great bond with many athletes from different sports. He has previously met with the likes of UFC’s Khabib Nurmagomedov, tennis legends Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal, and one of the NBA’s all-time greats Michael Jordon, among others.
It must be noted that Anthony Joshua dominated Otto Wallin as the British boxer defeated his counterpart with a series of punches in the fifth round.
Joshua finished 2023 undefeated, winning three fights and ending the year on a high note.
Anthony Joshua vs Otto Wallin: full card and results