On Friday, it appeared that Philip
Mulpeter would bid farewell to SBG Portarlington for the last
time.
The gym, located in County Laois, Ireland, simpy wasn’t able to
financially withstand the losses that would come with another
COVID-19 imposed lockdown.
“Tonight, we close our doors in the gym for the last time.
Unfortunately, we are forced to shut our gym down. To say I’m
heartbroken is an understatement. The covid pandemic has been tough
on us all and we can no longer keep the gym going. Due to mounting
rent bills during lockdowns we just can’t sustain,” read a post on
the gym’s Instagram page.
“…Hopefully, when the vaccine is rolled out and our lives go back
to some form of normality, we can get a new premises and rebuild
SBG Port once again. Until then thank you again to each and every
one of you.”
However, before Mulpeter could shutter the facility, Conor
McGregor reached out to lend a hand to his friend and former
training partner. The former UFC two-division champion told
Mulpeter that he would send enough money so the gym wouldn’t be
forced to close its doors. While Mulpeter wouldn’t reveal the exact
amount of aid McGregor provided, he did inform
ESPN that “we don’t have to worry for the next year or
two.”
“I was like nearly crying there,” Mulpeter told ESPN. “I didn’t
know what to say to him, to be honest. I’m forever grateful to him.
He basically saved our little community. Words can’t express what
he’s done for us. I know that he gets bad press. People don’t
report on it, but he does this stuff all the time. Conor is not
looking for gratitude, he’s not looking for the media to spread
this around.”
Mulpeter and McGregor became friends while training together at SBG
Ireland in 2008, and SBR Portarlington is an affiliate of the more
famous gym. McGregor has also vowed to sustain Gaelic Atlantic
Martial Arts, an amateur MMA and jiu-jitsu promotion which Mulpeter
runs.
“Conor plans on entering his son into our promotion, Gaelic
Atlantic Martial Arts,” said Mulpeter, a 16-bout MMA veteran with
appearances in Bellator and Cage Warriors on his resume. “He knows
what we’re doing for the community. He’s just feeling bad for us
and he wants to keep MMA alive. During this hard time, MMA is going
to have to rebuild in Ireland after COVID. It’s great to have
somebody like Conor that’s pushing and going to help us get back to
where we were.”
McGregor is currently training in Portugal for his rematch with
Dustin
Poirier at UFC 257 on Jan. 23.