"If you can't stand up, stand out" - When Conor McGregor shared words of encouragement to paralysed fan Ian O'Connell

In 2018, Conor McGregor instantly became a fan of Ian O'Connell after the young supporter appeared on RTE's the Late Late show.

O'Connell was paralysed after falling off his bike which caused lasting damage to his neck and spine. However, the young man blew everyone away, including McGregor, when speaking about his positive outlook on life on the Late Late show. This caught the attention of the UFC star.

Amazingly, McGregor met O'Connell at an event the former UFC champion was attending. The 33-year-old said it was completely by chance and he once again mentioned the young man's quote:

"If you can't stand up, STAND OUT!"

O'Connell has done a fantastic job of standing out and currently has a large Instagram following and runs a podcast on Spotify. Sometime later, Conor McGregor once again shared an image of himself and O'Connell on his personal Instagram.

Watch O'Connell on the Late Late show below:

The UFC fighter was clearly very touched by O'Connell's honesty, as were many of McGregor's fans given the post currently has over 650,000 likes on Instagram. McGregor has taken questionable actions outside of the octagon. However, the Irishman won't often disappoint his fans when meeting them, especially supporters as inspiring as O'Connell.

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Conor McGregor hilariously recalls Irish fan reception after winning his UFC titles

When Jiri Prochazka returned home to the Czech Republic with his UFC light-heavyweight title, he received a hero’s welcome from all of his fans. However, Conor McGregor didn't quite get the same level of respect from his Irish fans after he made history. He won belts in two UFC weight classes simultaneously but wasn't greeted as well as Porchazka.

When Prochazka's video was shared on Twitter via Paradigm Sports, the Irishman stated:

"All I got was a howya from Mary in baggage claim."

McGregor is hardly short of fame or fortune, with the Irishman currently having over 45 million followers on Instagram. However, the former "Champ Champ" has struggled in the UFC recently and hasn't tasted title success in a long time.

The 33-year-old has failed to win since beating Donald Cerrone in 2020. Hence, he might feel a little bit jealous of Prochazka's success or at least the admiration from the Czech fans. If McGregor wins the UFC title again, you'd have to imagine that his now massive fanbase would be just as thrilled as the loyal Czech supporters.