UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor issued a heartfelt message to friend and inspiration Arnold Schwarzenegger after the former bodybuilder-turned-actor-turned-governor underwent successful heart surgery on Thursday.
Famous for his role as The Terminator, Schwarzenegger, 70, underwent was characterized as a planned procedure to replace a pulmonic valve that he originally had replaced in 1997 because of a congenital heart defect, according to The Washington Post, which cited a statement from Schwarzenegger spokesman Daniel Kitchell.
“That 1997 replacement valve was never meant to be permanent, and has outlived its life expectancy, so he chose to replace it yesterday through a less-invasive catheter valve replacement,” Ketchell said.
“Governor Schwarzenegger’s pulmonic valve was successfully replaced.”
Schwarzenegger has been a vocal fan of McGregor’s and the feeling is mutual, as the two have become acquainted over the past few years, so McGregor’s message is a little more than the usual celebrity wishing a celebrity well.
“What an inspiration and true legend you are Arnold Schwarzenegger,” McGregor wrote via Twitter. “It is great to hear you are back in good health my friend.”
What an inspiration and true legend you are Arnold @Schwarzenegger!
It is great to hear you are back in good health my friend ? https://t.co/mc5fxytZaC— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) March 31, 2018
When McGregor was listed by Time magazine as one of the most influential people in the world, Schwarzenegger was the one who penned his bio, according to TheMacLife.com.
“Conor has a fire in his belly that can’t be quenched with championship belts. There are no brakes that can stop his engine,” wrote Schwarzenegger.
“Conor McGregor is more than a fighter, more than an athlete, more than a champion—although, as the first person in the history of the Ultimate Fighting Championship to hold titles in two weight divisions at once, he is clearly all of those things.
“Conor is also the rare personality who has become bigger than his sport. That lean, compact body must struggle to keep his enormous character inside.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger and Conor McGregor Meet
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