In the world of mixed martial arts (MMA), the infamous full contact combat sports, a surprise came when a young Irish man from Crumlin came to be signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). ‘The Notorious’, which will transmit this Thursday evening on RTÉ2, is a unique documentary that follows Conor McGregor over the most important six months of his fighting career as he competes in the dangerous world of the UFC.
Conor McGregor was originally an apprentice plumber working on building sites in Dublin city. Now the twenty five year old is the first professional Irish fighter to hold two world titles in two separate divisions as the former CWFC (Cage Warriors Fighting Championship) Champion in the lightweight and featherweight categories. Conor’s journey from his gym in Crumlin to the biggest fight of his life in Boston is gruelling but also rewarding.
Filmed over six months, ‘The Notorious’ follows Conor’s astounding story from when he became an overnight celebrity after his UFC debut in Stockholm, through to his subsequent fight and American debut in August 2013. The documentary takes us from Dublin to Boston through Las Vegas, and offers audiences an insight into the unique subcultures of the MMA and the UFC.
The audience will see McGregor train, spend time with his family and his team mates, and the stresses and benefits of being a well-paid emerging cage fighter. Coach John Kavanagh, McGregor’s family, girlfriend and his supporters from Crumlin all play an important role in the documentary as they back him to become the Ultimate Fighter.
‘The Notorious’ is a Motive Television production made for RTÉ. The documentary is directed by Patrick Timmons Ward, produced by Jamie D’Alton, filmed by Gavin Fitzgerald and associate produced by Graeme McDonnell.
Recent Motive Television sport documentaries include IFTA 2014 nominees ‘We Got Game’ and ‘Batmen’, as well as ‘Man on a Mission’ which won the 2012 IFTA for Best Sports Programme.
The documentary was funded by the Irish Film Board as part of ‘Reality Bites’, a scheme which allows for the making of short documentaries.
The Notorious will transmit on RTÉ Two, Thursday March 13th at 21.30
See a trailer for the documentary below:
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