Published 09/30/2022, 11:40 AM EDT
Daniel Ricciardo and his affable personality might not make you think that he likes combat sports. However, the Honey Badger is, in fact, a massive UFC fan. On multiple occasions, we’ve seen the Australian swooning over UFC fights on his Instagram. But have you ever wondered what and who got him interested?
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Ricciardo operates with a killer mentality on track. It would not be hard to believe that his affinity for the UFC lies in his inherent Honey Badger-esque approach. However, in an interview with UFC, he narrated how he actually got pulled into the sport.
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According to Ricciardo he “stumbled across” the streaming of UFC 116 while he was at a race in the Middle East. Ricciardo fell in love with the sport when he saw the main event where Brock Lesnar faced off and defeated Shane Carwin.
Ricciardo exclaimed, “He was like a Superstar!” He went on to explain, “I was quite impressed how he was able to transition from wrestling to full-blown combat sports.”.
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This isn’t the only time though, when UFC has a profound influence on the Honey Badger. Recently, Ricciardo opened up about how an encounter with Conor McGregor’s mother humbled him beyond words.
When Daniel Ricciardo realized Conor McGregor’s mother was just like his own mother
Daniel Ricciardo has been an outspoken UFC fan for a while. However, during the UFC 189 main card event between Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes, he was hit with a very profound revelation. As it happened, he was seated next to the McGregor family.
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Conor McGregor during F1 Monaco Gp (Photo by Alessio Morgese/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
He said, “I was actually next to McGregor’s family, and I was watching his mum during the fight, and all I could think of was ‘that’s my mum when she watches me race’.
He also went ahead and summarized the entire spectacle. “It was an amazing event, like honestly, till this day, I think the best sporting event I’ve been to.”
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Daniel Ricciardo has a multitude of options for 2023 and beyond. Where will Daniel Ricciardo end up next?
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