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Conor McGregor raised the roof as he arrived to support his close friend Artem Lobov at UFC Fight Night 99 in Belfast.

The two-weight champion was rumoured to be in his SBG team-mate's corner in the SSE Arena, report the Irish Mirror .

And as The Notorious made his way to his seat early in the evening, fans went wild to catch a glimpse of the superstar a week after his history-making win over Eddie Alvarez at Madison Square Garden in New York.

The victory saw McGregor become the first fighter to hold two UFC belts simultaneously, at featherweight and lightweight.

(Image: Brandon Magnus/Zuffa/Getty)

Tonight's event is again pitting warriors from across the world against one another, but McGregor showed he is the undoubted star of the show.

The roof almost lifted off the Belfast venue when McGregor strutted into the arena briefly and waved to adoring fans.

Later, McGregor is expected to head over to the El Divino nightclub for a special meet and greet with more supporters.

Earlier, his coach John Kavanagh had mingled with supporters at a special book signing in the city.And many of those who stopped by for autographs and selfies then made their way to the SSE Arena for the Fight Night.

(Image: Brandon Magnus/Zuffa/Getty)

UFC president Dana White said he was delighted to have the franchise back in Northern Ireland.

He said: "It's been a long time - too long - since our last event here in 2007, and so much has changed in the world of mixed martial arts.

"But just because things have changed doesn't mean that's a bad thing. The sport has taken off internationally, the talent level has risen, and we're able to bring this sport to more and more people every year."