Conor McGregor tackle and first touch has viewers making jokes after football videos emerge

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Conor McGregor brushed the dust off his football boots to play for his pub's team on Saturday - and his efforts on the left wing went exactly how you would expect.

In the amateur United Churches League Premier Division clash between Black Forge FC, the name of McGregor's pub, and Harding FC, the UFC superstar donned the number 11 shirt - and seemed to bring his MMA skills with him to Ringsend Park. The game, which ended in a 1-1 draw, must have been a frustrating affair for the Dubliner as footage showed him taking his anger out on an opponent.

After a successful Black Forge throw-in deep in the opposition half, McGregor, who played Sunday league football before he shot to global MMA fame, calls for the ball from a teammate who is under pressure from two tacklers. The MMA star clumsily slips over the ball while trying to control the gentle pass before a Harding player swoops in and takes the ball, and McGregor got up from his fall looking for revenge.

He holds up the Harding man who has his back to McGregor. As he tries to go around the former UFC champ, McGregor pulls him to the ground – in a move that wouldn't look out of place in the octagon.

A voice is heard in the background of the video saying, "great takedown", as the two men get back to their feet and the referee blows for a free-kick to Harding. Later in the same fixture, McGregor is seen running down the wing as he tries to control a heavily weighted pass.

A defender slides in and knocks the ball out of his control. As a Harding player slides in to stop the ball going out of play, McGregor decides to throw his body into the player with his left foot raised high as the ball flies into touch.

McGregor was eventually booked in the 84th minute, but did see out the full 90 as the Forge pulled within three points of table-topping Ballyfermot side ROC Celtic. And reigniting his UFC rivalry, someone commented on the clip: "Damn Khabib is even better than him at football." Another blasted: "He might be the worst footballer on earth."

Aside from the Vinnie Jones comparisons, the most common criticism of McGregor's performance was his first touch. "That touch is criminal," one said.

X users were also left cracking up at the sound of an opponent telling his teammates ‘I have 11’, so as to not give the world famous athlete any special treatment by name-checking him. "Fellas saying ‘I got 11’ as if he doesn’t know who he is," one person commented.

Before the match, McGregor posted an image of a pair of purple Nike boots on social media with the caption: "Today we ball". He followed that up by adding: "I break jaws with my shoulder, and noses. I get the ball any pitch, any where. Moses".

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