“With an ex mob boss,” “Two alpha man” - Fans react to Conor McGregor taking break from training for UFC 303 to meet Michael Franzese and his family

UFC megastar Conor McGregor took some time away from his intense preparation for UFC 303 to have dinner with none other than Michael Franzese. 'The Notorious' spent some quality time with the known ex-mob boss and his family at the Black Forge Restaurant & Club in Dublin, Ireland.

This meeting is making quite a stir as Franzese, known as the 'Prince of the Mafia', is the son of former underboss Sonny Franzese and was a prominent member of the Colombo crime family in New York City. He is one of the few ex-mobsters who have chosen to come out and advocate a better lifestyle as a motivational speaker.

Franzese posted a photo of him and his family with Conor McGregor on Twitter:

Fans are formulating their own theories on the meeting, with one fan named Terry offering up his thoughts:

"Takes time out of training camp for the biggest fight of his life to spend time with an ex mob boss... Either the fight is not happening, or Connor just gets ironed out."

Another fan who goes by @kanyewestinengineering was simply in awe of the two pop culture icons meeting:

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Who is Michael Franzese and why is he meeting Conor McGregor?

As mentioned, Michael Franzese is a known ex-mob boss who was part of the Colombo crime family, one of the "Five Families" to have dominated the New York City organized crime world.

By 1980, Franzese rose up to become a caporegime, just two ranks below the crime boss, with a crew of 300 men. By 1986, Fortune Magazine listed him as as number 18 on its list of "50 Most Wealthy and Powerful Mafia Bosses."

In the same year, however, the Italian-American mobster was sentenced to 10 years in prison for racketeering and tax conspiracy. He was released in 1989 but was rearrested two years later due to a parole violation. He was ultimately released from federal prison in 1994, which prompted him to move to California, retire from mob life, and become a motivational speaker.

Here's a YouTube video of Franzese debunking some Hollywood myths about the Mafia:

If there's any other reason for Michael Franzese and Conor McGregor to have dinner together other than just a friendly meet-up is purely speculation. Perhaps 'The Notorious' is in need of some motivational words from a man who's seen quite the adversities in life like Franzese.