"Does Cruise have the sprouts to fight" - When Conor McGregor questioned Tom Cruise's manhood 

Years ago, Conor McGregor took to X/Twitter to express interest in promoting a bizarre Tom Cruise vs. Justin Bieber MMA bout. Potential for a fight between the two peaked in 2019, when the pop singer challenged Cruise to an MMA fight on X/Twitter, which drew McGregor's response.

In his tweet, the Irishman took aim at Cruise's manhood and willingness to accept Bieber's challenge, before declaring that he would gladly host the bout via his McGregor Sports and Entertainment promotion. The Irishman tweeted:

"If Tom Cruise is man enough to accept this challenge, McGregor Sports and Entertainment will host the bout. Does Cruise have the sprouts to fight, like he does in the movies? Stay tuned to find out!"

The fight, however, never came to pass. Unfortunately, for fans of serious MMA competition, it wasn't the last time a high-profile figure in the sport expressed interest in booking a matchup between two public figures. Not long ago, a fight between billionaire businessmen Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg was teased.

UFC CEO Dana White declared his interest in promoting the bout, despite his past dismissal of gimmick fights. Meanwhile, McGregor himself scoffed at the idea of a fight between Musk and Zuckerberg. In fact, besides fights concerning his friend and teammate Dillon Danis, the Irishman has soured on such matchups.

He famously criticized influencer boxing as a whole, when Danis was previously scheduled to face KSI, an English YouTuber. However, in a contradictory move, the Irishman later challenged KSI to a bare-knuckle boxing match, before backtracking on his own comments.

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Have Conor McGregor and Tom Cruise ever been in the same movie?

While Tom Cruise is one of the highest-profile actors in the world, Conor McGregor's success in MMA has allowed him to transcend the usual fame barrier that most fighters face. He has become a household name, and is set to make his cinematic debut in a 2025 remake of the classic action movie Road House.

McGregor's role in the film is undefined, but he will be starring alongside globally-renowned actor Jake Gyllenhaal, who filmed some of the movie's scenes at a UFC pay-per-view.

Check out a clip of Conor McGregor and Jake Gyllenhaal cage-side at UFC 285:

McGregor is yet to star in a film featuring Cruise, but depending on how his future in the film industry pans out, he may be able to do so down the line. Cruise is an action movie star, and MMA fighters are often cast as side characters in the genre.