Wait, what the hell is Conor McGregor doing in the streets of New York City just a couple of weeks before his superfight with undefeated boxing champ Floyd Mayweather Jr.? That must have been what was going through the minds of many as the famed fighter with the gorilla and tiger tatts got up close and personal with his many fans in Times Square…or so they thought.
The man most people seemed to believe was McGregor was actually Islam Badurgov, a professional street workout athlete from Kazakhstan who bears a striking resemblance to the UFC lightweight champion from Ireland.
This wasn’t the first time Badurgov pulled off this epic stunt. Just last month, the McGregor look-alike hit Muscle Beach to fool the folks in Venice, CA, while also showing off his impressive strength and athleticism. Since the real McGregor had actually worked out at Muscle Beach in the past, you can’t blame the crowd for thinking the Irishman had made a return.
And while the hair, clothes, and even tattoos were all spot on, the fake’s physique was clearly larger and more muscular than that of the real “Notorious.”
After pulling off the prank in California with great success, Badurgov and his team ventured east to see if those in The Big Apple could be duped as easily.
Clearly, the answer was yes as mobs of fans and onlookers swarmed the impostor with photos, well-wishes, and chants of “Conor!” So accurate was Badurgov’s McGregor imitation that even when people got right in his grill they were still convinced he was the real UFC champ.
NYPD officers also appeared to believe McGregor was taking time to tour the city. In the Times Square frenzy, New York’s finest can be seen shaking hands with the McGregor impersonator, and even posing for a pic with him. The prank was so successful that additional officers needed to be called in to clear a path for Badurgov’s swarmed car.
So what are Fake McGregor’s thoughts when it comes to Real McGregor? “We are big fans of Conor’s, and these pranks are dedicated to his upcoming fight with Floyd Mayweather. We wish him nothing but victory, health, and continuing domination over his rivals,” said Badurgov on his YouTube channel.
