Conor McGregor Jokingly Called out by Olivier Giroud in Arsenal Interview

Revered for his immaculate hair and striking good looks, as well as his goal poaching, Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud wouldn’t be the most obvious candidate if you were picking a player to make the switch from football to mixed martial arts. 

But the French forward has offered a brash—and lighthearted—challenge to UFC featherweight champion Conor McGregor.

As we can see here, Giroud and team-mate Laurent Koscielny answered quickfire questions in a feature with the Gunners’ official YouTube channel. The former was asked how long he would last in a scrap with the Irishman. Here’s how he responded:

“Maybe 10 seconds?” was Giroud’s answer, before becoming a little more ballsy. “I have never been in a cage fighting UFC. It would be nice to try. So, McGregor, when you want?”

After taking a deep breath, the Frenchman seemed to regret his show of machismo. “OK, I’m dead,” he muttered.

While it would be a fascinating fight to see, McGregor has a pretty full schedule. The Notorious is set to face Eddie Alvarez for the UFC lightweight title on November 12 at UFC 205 on a momentous night in New York; it'll be the first time the UFC has hosted an event in the city.

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As for Giroud, he can occasionally get a little hot-headed on the field and was red-carded earlier in the season against Paris Saint-Germain.

He faces a fight to get his place back in the Arsenal side, with Alexis Sanchez starring at the point of the attack; the 30-year-old has yet to start a Premier League game this season. You sense a showdown with McGregor wouldn’t do much to bolster his chances of making the XI.