In a revealing episode of the Joe Rogan Experience, U2 frontman Bono shared a surprising connection between his godson and UFC superstar Conor McGregor.
During their wide-ranging three-hour conversation, Bono recounted how his godson Noah, son of his lifelong friend Guggy, abandoned a promising career in mixed martial arts after encountering the Irish star.
“My best mate since I was three years old, he gave me my name, Bono,” the musician explained. “So Guggy, my mate, his obsession became mixed martial arts. He wants his kids going down to the gym.”
Bono recalled a conversation with Guggy about Noah’s decision to quit fighting: “He comes up and he goes, ‘Noah wants to give up fighting, cage fighting.’ I said, ‘Oh, that’s okay. What does he want to do?’ ‘He wants to be a doctor.'”
While Guggy was disappointed by his son’s career change, Bono was supportive. “Your kid wants to be a doctor. This is a… by the way, he became a doctor,” Bono confirmed.
When pressed about why Noah gave up fighting, Bono revealed the McGregor connection: “I said, ‘Why did he give up?’ He said, ‘He’s down the gym. He said, I can’t even beat the best guy in the gym. If I can’t beat the best guy in the gym, there’s no point in me having a big career.’ He said, ‘The best guy in the gym was Conor McGregor.’ And he was a few years older.”
The story highlights how McGregor’s dominance influenced even those in Bono’s circle. While Noah pursued medicine instead of MMA, Bono mentioned that two of Guggy’s other children did become fighters.
The conversation between Rogan and Bono touched on numerous other topics including music, faith, American politics, and the power of performance, but this personal anecdote provided a fascinating glimpse into how McGregor’s rise impacted aspiring fighters in Ireland’s combat sports scene.
