Controversial UFC fighter Conor McGregor will receive an amazing gift from a Lithuanian artist when he celebrates his 30th birthday this week.
Lithuanian artist Edgar Askelovic, or better known as Aspencrow, will give McGregor a massive 220-pound statue of himself worth more than $58,000. The statue depicts McGregor coming out of a block of stone, resembling a Greek god.
Artist Took 5 Months To Create McGregor's Statue
According to Aspencrow, it took him five months to craft the statue, which he based on photographs alone. The Lithuanian artist said he used top quality platinum silicone and marble powder and UV-resistant Polyurethane Resin. Aspencrow used real hair to create McGregor's trademark crop cut and beard.
Explaining his choice for the design of McGregor's statue, Aspencrow says he looked back to antiquity where athletes were immortalized in sculptures as gods. The artist said that he combined details from the Michelangelo statue with modern day graffiti to capture the "present day's warrior sensibilities."
"People of our generation grew up on graffiti and hooliganism, so I've displayed part of his tattoos on his back in graffiti," said Aspencrow, adding that he shares McGregor's belief that talent does not exist.
"This is hard work and obsession," said Aspencrow, who created three version of McGregor's statue. The two versions will be unveiled at Mayfair's JD Malat Gallery on July 14 and will eventually be sold.
McGregor Trying To Settle Court Case
McGregor made UFC history when he became the first two-division champion when he won the featherweight and lightweight belts. On December 2015, McGregor won the featherweight title after beating Jose Aldo via a 13-second knockout win. On November 2016, McGregor made it to the UFC record book after beating UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez via second-round technical knockout.
However, the UFC stripped the featherweight and lightweight belts from McGregor, in November 2016 and April 2018, respectively, after he failed to defend either of his titles. Instead of focusing on the UFC, McGregor shifted his attention to boxing, squaring off with undefeated fighter Floyd Mayweather Jr. on August 2017. While he lost to Mayweather via 10th-round technical knockout, McGregor earned around $85 million in prize money.
Currently, McGregor is facing a legal battle after he attacked a bus during UFC 223 media day event in Brooklyn in April, where two UFC fighters were injured. McGregor has been charged with three charges of misdemeanor assault and one count of felony criminal mischief. He is trying to reach a plea deal to avoid jail time.
There were reports that McGregor will face current lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in his return bout to the UFC.
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