Born on July 14, 1988, Conor McGregor will be looking for a belated birthday present when he meets Cole Miller. The main event at UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin is an eagerly anticipated affair, one that has Ireland buzzing with pride and expectation. A character like no other, McGregor possesses the body of a finely tuned athlete and the charisma of a Hollywood superstar. Having won his first two UFC bouts and last ten, in total, the Irishman enters the bout in a positive frame of mind.
The former CWFC Featherweight Champion and Lightweight Champion, McGregor is the first professional Irish fighter to hold two world titles in two separate divisions. Ever since the bearded 25 year old made his professional MMA debut in March 2008, his rise to prominence has been one a true rags to riches tale, and in February 2013, the UFC confirmed the signing of McGregor to a multi-fight contract.
Connor McGregor isn’t making friends
However, not everybody is a fan of the Irish megastar, and Jose Aldo certainly falls into this category. Clearly wounded by McGregor’s verbal assaults, the long-time UFC featherweight champion recently stated; “Some fighters like to promote themselves by talking, and he’s just another one. I’m open to new challenges and I really hope he gets where he’s saying he will, so we can fight. For now, he’s only a talker.” Yes, McGregor is a talker; nevertheless, the fiercely witty fighter possesses raw power and the tenacity of a caged tiger.
Having recently recovered from an ACL injury, McGregor stands as the UFC’s 13th-ranked 145-pounder, having beaten Marcus Brimage and Max Holloway in his first two UFC fights last year.
McGregor picked up this injury during his fight with Holloway and only received clearance to begin training a few weeks ago. Similarly, Miller has recently recovered from injury and is eager to quieten the outspoken, Dublin native. A very capable opponent, Miller has won his last two fights, and in his January bout, he beat Sam Sicilia via rear-naked choke in the second round.
According to widespread reports, a rather tasty affair awaits Conor McGregor if he can overcome the challenge posed by Miller on July 19th. According to UFC tonight, Dustin Poirier, Cole Miller’s teammate, is next in line if McGregor can prevail. Poirier and McGregor have been trading verbal jabs ever since the fiery fighter signed with the UFC.
McGregor alluded to the possibility of squaring up against Poirier, a man he recently called a “peahead”, by telling Cole to bring his teammate along next month, then finishing the invitation in his trademark style of brashness; “and I’ll whoop him too.” In his last bout, rather impressively, Poirier beat Akira Corassani by TKO, so he will eagerly await the outcome of the now sold out event.
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