Rory McIlroy shares surprising favorite thing in sports during conversation with former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua

Rory McIlroy is a top golfer, but that doesn't stop him from enjoying other sports. In fact, he recently revealed two of his favorite things in the entire world of sports, and those had nothing to do with golf.

McIlroy was speaking with former Heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua and he revealed the two things he likes to watch most. According to TalkSport, the Irishman loves the start of a race and the start of a fight:

"I think the two best things to watch in sport are probably the first round of a boxing fight and the starting grid going into the first corner of a race. That’s where it’s edge-of-your-seat. I’m not very nervous when a soccer match kicks off or other sports that I follow. But whenever at the start of a fight or the start of a race, you’re nervous."

When those two sports start, there's immediate action and tension. That's not necessarily true for other sports. Soccer teams usually pass the ball around before aiming to score. Football has a kickoff that largely does nothing. Meanwhile, the first pitch in baseball is usually taken and the NBA tip-off is less than exciting.

However, when the race starts, it's an important time. The same for a fight, as both matches can be heavily influenced by what happens after the whistle or starting gun blows. That's what gets Rory McIlroy excited.

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Rory McIlroy discusses investing in Alpine F1 team

Rory McIlroy and Anthony Joshua's Otro Capital investment group purchased a 24 percent stake in the Alpine F1 team this summer.

Discussing that, McIlroy said that his fandom for the sport led to him investing in it. McIlroy hopes the influx of cash can help support the Formula 1 team. He continued:

"I’ve always had an interest in Formula One. I’ve always been a fan,” he added. “It’s always been really big in Europe, but the boom of Formula One in the United States, off the back of the Netflix show and everything else, the popularity, it just felt like a really good time to do something like this."

He added that he's thought a lot about this investment, saying:

"From a fund standpoint, it’s an investment, and with every investment, you’re trying to make money from it, but it’s a purposeful investment. Instead of investing in some business where I don’t really know anything about it, I can actually relate to this. I feel like I might be able to help in some way."

Money helps all sports and sporting teams. With more money, they can get better equipment or better marketing and add more fans to the stands. This can have a direct impact on success, and that's what Rory McIlroy is hoping will take place.

The shift from fan to investor doesn't change all that much, as Joshua reminded McIlroy. In fact, all that changes is the fact that there's a more direct and closer relationship between one and the team they support. Given how much McIlroy likes the sport, that may not be a negative.