Media Street: The Dublin trip that turned into ‘chaos’ for Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown

Sent over to Ireland to interview one of the world’s biggest sport stars, it was a bucket-list trip for Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown. But it turned into “chaos”, as SCOTT GULLAN reveals.

It was a bucket-list trip that turned into a nightmare for Jonathan Brown.

The former Brisbane Lions champion was sent over to Dublin last week by Fox Sports to interview UFC champion Conor McGregor ahead of his comeback to the Octagon in Las Vegas later this month.

Brown had never been to Ireland before so he was looking forward to some Guinness and an exclusive chat with one of the world’s biggest sports stars.

It’s fair to say things didn’t go according to plan.

Cancelled flights and lost luggage were the issues getting to Dublin and then McGregor went AWOL, cancelling on Brown and then a no-show at his press conference the next day.

“By the time I left home to the time I arrived in Dublin it was 53 hours and we were only in Dublin for 48 hours,” a bemused Brown said.

“It ended up being like The Amazing Race, we had to change all these flights as every prick is going to Europe so it was chaos, we were racing across the globe just trying to get to Dublin.”

Jonathan Brown with UFC fighters Jack Jenkins and Alex Volkanovski, and Matty Johns. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Conor McGregor was a no show. Picture: AFP PHOTO / John GURZINSKI

They arrived a day later than expected and then the interview was put back three hours so Brown headed to Croke Park to watch the hurling.

It was on his way from there to McGregor’s gym that another email lobbed informing him that the interview was off.

“We thought we’d go to his pub and see if he was there and the locals had said he’d been around all week which was probably not a great sign for a bloke a month out from a fight,” Brown said.

“So the closest I got to him was pouring my own beers behind the tap with his title belt on my shoulder.”

The rumour was ‘The Notorious’ McGregor had broken his toe but there has been no further announcement about his fight on June 29 in Las Vegas against Michael Chandler. He hasn’t fought since breaking his leg in his July 2021 loss to Dustin Poirer.

But the Fox Footy commentator didn’t come home completely empty.

“I’ve just been collecting frequent flyer points and aeroplane pyjamas, I reckon I’ve come home with eight sets of pyjamas,” Brown said.

Originally published as Media Street: The Dublin trip that turned into ‘chaos’ for Brisbane Lions great Jonathan Brown