UFC legend criticized

A gambling promo created by global sports betting operator Parimatch has received an odd reaction from viewers due to its unusual content.

UFC legend Conor McGregor has been mocked for his involvement. He fights a cat, appears as The Joker, and takes on Mike Tyson in a video game.

Negative feedback

The unusual video was posted by Parimatch on Twitter. As soon as the tweet was posted, fans immediately started sending negative feedback. Viewers thought the concept was bad and many called it ‘garbage’.

Memes have taken over the Twitter post, with more than 90 comments being posted about the video, most of which are negative. Viewers continue to make fun of the advertisement, with memes depicting people laughing or shaking their head in embarrassment.

Good idea gone bad

The gambling advert starts off well enough with the clip focusing on McGregor in a leather jacket with his arms spread out, looking menacing with a fist of fire. From this point on, the video gets weird. McGregor is then shown inside a cage with a cat on a pedestal as his opponent.

The clip then cuts to a computer game, which shows the MMA star taking on boxing legend Mike Tyson. Moving on, the video then shows a gorilla on a throne with his heart beating strongly. McGregor’s distinctive chest tattoo is then highlighted.

McGregor dressed as The Joker while holding a sledgehammer

Women then show up in a parade wearing black and yellow, the Parimatch colors, with rabbit head masks. As if that wasn’t cringe enough, the promo then shows McGregor dressed as The Joker while holding a sledgehammer.

Ambassador for Parimatch

Parimatch named McGregor as a brand ambassador back in February. The UFC fighter signed a personal endorsement deal with the brand, with the new gambling advertisement campaign being part of the deal.

The campaign is titled ‘A new epic story’ and features 15 action shots of McGregor. Parimatch placed shots from the campaign on billboards across the CIS region.

Sergey Portnov, CEO of Parimatch, commented on the ambassadorship with McGregor back in February, stating that like Parimatch, the fighter dares to be different. He said:

He [McGregor] is a bold global icon that transcends sport. Conor will lift our brand to new heights.”

McGregor hasn’t fought since losing to his bitter rival Khabib Nurmagomedov in October of last year. He retired a few months later but it is believed that he will return to the Octagon in the near future.