Lincoln City's Alan Power Talks About Growing Up With Conor McGregor

Being at school with someone who eventually goes on to become a global megastar must be pretty great, as it's always a decent story to tell.

There's currently no one better, or bigger, than Conor McGregor to be the subject of this type of tale.

His journey from Dublin to the UFC Octagon is well documented, though his popularity does make people curious about his life prior to making history.

Raised in the suburb of Crumlin, he was a sporty kid, taking up boxing and playing football alongside Alan Power, who was a part of Lincoln City's dramatic win over Burnley earlier today.

Before helping his non-league side defeat the Premier League side in the FA Cup, he mimicked McGregor's trademark walk (which he nabbed off Vince McMahon) after scoring a penalty against Brighton & Hove Albion in the previous round of the tournament.

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Power spoke to The Telegraph about the celebration, and revealed that he used to play around with The Notorious.

"We used to knock around in the same circle of friends back home when we were growing up," he said. "He played Sunday League football where I did - actually he wasn't a bad footballer, but he chose a different path.

"He made the right decision, he's a better fighter than a footballer, but who knows, I might have been the same."

Unfortunately, as McGregor now resides in the States and has rightly carved out the perfect life for himself, his girlfriend and his soon to arrive baby boy, the pair haven't kept in touch. Power is pretty realistic about ever reconciling the friendship they had back in their youth, but he's okay with it.

He told The Telegraph: "I've not spoken to him in years - he's a superstar now. The last time I spoke to him he was cage fighting in Dublin and wasn't too sure if he was going to continue with it, but he's a phenomenon. When he went over to America to fight in the UFC, we lost touch, but everyone who knew him then, we're so proud of everything he has achieved.

"The celebration was just my way of paying a little tribute. There has been a lot of hype surrounding it since but I've not heard from him. I know BT Sport tried to contact him on Twitter, but I doubt he even looked at it.

"He's a busy man, he's got bigger things to worry about than a footballer he used to know from Lincoln, but I hope he's seen it."

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Who knows, he might see it and then fly the footballer out to America for a bit of a reunion party.

This real-life rags to riches man has managed a lot since entering the UFC. It's a modern-day success story built on three things besides innate talent and hard work in the gym.

Incredible confidence, charisma and a small support group that were loyal long before convertibles and sharp suits became the norm have all played their part in a whirlwind rise to the top of the world's fastest-growing sport.

A talented young martial artist with trash talk to match The Rock or Muhammad Ali, McGregor saw the UFC expanding across the globe and made a bold move. McGregor didn't just join the company, he became its headline act.

The 27-year-old arrived in the UFC as a pint-sized prospect back in 2013, making his debut in Stockholm, Sweden, on a show watched only by the most passionate MMA fans.

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McGregor got the call because of the buzz generated in his homeland, which led to Irish fans hounding UFC president Dana White about a man he'd never seen fight. Seven devastating wins have followed, six by knockout and four in the very first round. McGregor's entire UFC run from contender to champion has seen him spend less than 40 minutes in the Octagon.

Before pay-per view earnings and sponsorship deals with Reebok, Bud Light and Co., McGregor has earned an absolute minimum of $1,772,000. Not bad for the equivalent of less than half a Premier League game.

"We're not here to take part, we're here to take over," McGregor said to a sold-out o2 Arena in Dublin after winning his first main event match against Diego Brandao in July 2014. At the time it was seen as a throwaway comment, but now it looks like pure genius.

McGregor uses mind games better than a Quentin Tarantino monologue to get in his opponents' heads, that's what makes him special. He's earned a reputation for calling exactly how and when his fights will finish, much like his hero Ali.

A brilliant story.

Topics: Conor Mcgregor

Mark McGowan

Mark is a journalist at LADbible, who joined in 2015 after a year as a freelance writer. In the past he blogged for independent football fan channel Redmen TV, after graduating from Staffordshire University with degrees in journalism and English literature. He has worked on campaigns such as UOKM8? and IIOC.