Most people, whether or not they’re mixed martial arts enthusiasts, have heard of the enigma that is Conor McGregor at some point. Since making his UFC debut in April 2013, the brash Irishman has amassed millions of fans (and dollars) all over the world.
Fighting skills aside, his popularity can be attributed to many factors: his showmanship, extravagant lifestyle, mesmerising confidence, and so on. Following his most recent fight at UFC 2005, however, his popularity reached an all-time high. He became the first fighter ever to hold two championship belts simultaneously, thus creating UFC history and taking the sport to unprecedented levels.
A lot of fight fans have even begun to hail him as the greatest fighter of all time.
But is he really the greatest? Perhaps not.
Is he the most influential? Yes, and that’s beyond debate. Here’s why.
Cleaning Out the UFC Featherweight Division
McGregor was relatively unknown when he made his UFC featherweight debut in 2013. He fought Marcus Brimage and secured a first-round finish, earning the first of his many-to-come ‘Performance of the Night’ bonuses. He then went on to beat the likes of Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier, and Dennis Siver to earn a shot at the featherweight gold. By this time, he had become the snazzy trash-talker the fans came to love.
McGregor was scheduled to fight José Aldo – the reigning champion – in July 2015 at UFC 189. However, when the latter pulled out of the fight due to an injury, McGregor ended up facing Chad Mendez for the “interim” title. Fight analysts reckoned that McGregor was essentially a striker and had never faced a strong wrestler before. Chad Mendez, on the other hand, was a former NCAA Division I wrestler. But McGregor, owing to his precise striking, got the best of Mendez in the second round of the fight to win the interim title. The event’s live gate totalled $7.2 million, which was reportedly the highest in the US for a single MMA event.
McGregor finally met José Aldo in December 2015 (at UFC 194) for the long-awaited featherweight title unification bout. And it only took a left hook and 13 seconds for McGregor to finish Aldo and become the undisputed featherweight champion. He had created yet another record for the fastest finish in a title bout. In the post-fight interview, McGregor spoke the golden words – “Precision beats power, and timing beats speed."
McGregor proved that he was indeed the real deal, and naysayers were forced to acknowledge the same.
First Loss and a Comeback of Epic Proportions
After securing the featherweight title, McGregor decided to go after Rafael dos Anjos – who was the lightweight champion then – in a bid to become a dual-weight champion. But he ended up challenging Nate Diaz to a welterweight bout at UFC 196. The outcome left McGregor shattered, though, as he submitted to a rear naked choke and suffered his first loss in the UFC. However, he also gained tremendous respect when he exhibited class and grace post fight.
“I’m humble in victory or defeat.” About six months later, the two faced each other again at UFC 202 in a battle of the ages. After a bloody war that lasted five rounds, McGregor secured a majority decision against Diaz, thus exacting retribution.
Dual-Weight Glory
After settling the score with Nate Diaz, McGregor turned his attention back to the lightweight title. The then-champion Eddie Alvarez vowed to “expose” McGregor at UFC 205, but he soon realized that he had underestimated the Irishman. McGregor looked invincible in the fight, stunning Alvarez with fast and precise strikes. He went on to exhibit his showmanship by putting his hands behind his back, staring down Alvarez who seemed mentally broken.
The fight was over soon after when McGregor finished Alvarez with a brilliant four-punch combination. McGregor, who barely took any damage in the fight, succeeded in winning a second UFC title. 12 November 2016 was the date. History was made, and bars were raised.
Movie and Endorsement Deals
In a short span of about four years, McGregor has grown to become a global icon. He has appeared on TV shows like Conan, played a character in the popular video game ‘Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare’, and received several movie offers.
Welterweight Ambitions and Feud with Mayweather
McGregor is currently in a position that other MMA fighters can only dream about. He is asking for an ownership stake in the UFC for all the money he has made for the company. He is considering fighting for the third UFC belt – the welterweight title. He is doing all he can to set up a high-profile boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
(This is a personal blog and the views expressed above are the author’s own. The Quint neither endorses nor is responsible for the same. Ramesh Ilangovan works as a consultant and editor at BRIDGEi2i Analytics Solutions.)
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