A rising flyweight star who earned a UFC contract last month on DWCS has opened up about how his obsession with Conor McGregor as a casual fan eventually spiraled into garage fights with high school rivals he had beef with.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 11: Conor McGregor of Ireland prepares to face Max Holloway in a welterweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026, in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC)

The aforementioned newly signed UFC flyweight in question is none other than Bilal Hasan.

Bilal Hasan Reveals How Conor McGregor Inspired Him to Start Fighting ‘in His Garage’

After a successful UFC debut, the undefeated Indonesian knockout artist appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show. During the sitdown, “The IndoNinja” revealed that when he was 17-18, he was a “casual” Conor McGregor fan.

Hasan added that he got super obsessed with McGregor’s mic skills, aesthetic footwork, and performances inside the octagon. He also told Helwani that his obsession with McGregor eventually led him to fight a bunch of people he had beef with in high school. The grudge matches took place in his garage on taekwondo mats.

“I got super obsessed with watching him [Conor McGregor]… I just started fighting a bunch of people in my garage.”

When asked how his parents reacted to these garage fights, Hasan added:

“They’re still so mad at me till this day, and I don’t blame them. I was an idiot, but it was just boys being boys.”

Check out Bilal Hasan’s comments about Conor McGregor below:

Bilal Hasan boasts a perfect 10-0 professional MMA record. He earned his UFC contract after knocking out India’s Mridul Saikia in just 45 seconds of Round 1 during DWCS Season 10, Week 1.

After just 17 days, “The IndoNinja” made his short-notice UFC debut against Nilson Rojas at UFC Shanghai, where he scored a Round 2 knockout.

The 25-year-old has eight knockout wins and one submission victory among his 10 professional wins, making him a star in the making.

He also loves celebrating his wins with the Moonwalk, paying tribute to the legendary Michael Jackson.

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.