Real Madrid are considering a proposal for a UFC fight at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu this summer, a club source has told ESPN FC, opening up the possibility of Cristiano Ronaldo hosting a fight for his friend Conor McGregor.
McGregor's camp are reportedly keen for a UFC event to take place in Europe, with the 85,000-capacity Bernabeu one of the few venues sizeable enough to host the event.
A Real Madrid source has now confirmed to ESPN FC that they have received a proposal from a promoter hoping to hold a UFC fight at the Bernabeu.
"When the season ends, the club hold many events in the stadium. There can be music concerts and different events," the source said. "This promoter has made a proposal, as many companies do, and there are negotiations ongoing.
"We will study the proposal, as we do with all the proposals we receive. It depends on whether economically it is interesting for Real Madrid, on whether the dates can be found, and other factors. But if it all fits then perfect. The same as with the more than 100 events that are held at the stadium each summer."
In recent off-seasons, the Bernabeu has hosted concerts from entertainers including Bruce Springsteen and The Rolling Stones, but as yet no other sporting events have taken place there.
Ronaldo's friendship with McGregor was confirmed via social media in late July when the Real Madrid star visited the fighter's training camp in Las Vegas and the two squared off inside the octagon.
A photo posted by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on
More recently, McGregor's coach, John Kavanagh, said the Dubliner had asked Ronaldo to get him into a VIP party thrown in Las Vegas by Jennifer Lopez, with the Portugal captain then spending the night talking to Kavanagh about shared interests in training regimes and the psychology of top-level competition.