Conor McGregor is a rising star out of Ireland. Right now he has more popularity and charisma than anybody in the sport. Even in his seconnd fight in the UFC, there were people screaming his name in Boston while McGregor was making his entrance and preparing to fight Max Holloway.
To back up the hype, he’s performed in the octagon with three out of his four UFC wins coming by way of first round knockout. He has predicted the first round knockout in each of his last two fights, and has said that he plans to dispose of Dennis Siver at UFC Fight Night 59 this Sunday within two minutes. Dana White has publically stated that a win over Siver will give McGregor a title shot with reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Quite a few UFC fighters have been rather vocal about why they do not believe that McGregor has done enough to warrant a UFC title shot, even if he wins against Siver this Sunday. McGregor has yet to fight anyone ranked in the top five in the division and many have questioned how McGregor would hold up against an elite level wrestler. Frankie Edgar believes that his win over contender Cub Swanson puts him in line for the next shot at Aldo. dgar has stated that he is even willing to fight McGregor beforehand just to prove that he is the top contender.
One thing that can’t be denied though is McGregor’s marketability. When McGregor fought Diego Brandao in Ireland, tickets sold out almost instantly and the crowd was deafening according to the fighters and media at the event. McGregor has made offer after offer to fight Aldo in an Ireland soccer stadium, but unpredictable weather patterns and other issues may prevent that from happening. Ireland is not known for having large indoor stadiums.
At UFC 178 in Las Vegas, McGregor defeated Dustin Poirier in the first round and there were hundreds of people that gathered around at the MGM arena to celebrate McGregor’s win. They came with Irish flags and chants of “Ole, ole, ole, ole!” in support of this rising star. Dana White and the management of UFC definitely realize that McGregor’s popularity could be limitless in the future.
McGregor’s brash confidence and smooth approach to fighting is winning fans over around the world. There is just something about him that keeps people interested in him. Call him cocky or arrogant, the fact is that the fans either love it, or love to hate him, and those fans will pay to see McGregor fight. Many have compared McGregor’s personality to the great Muhammad Ali. Ali believed that his greatness carried him to victory before the fight even started and McGregor is much the same way. McGregor realizes that he is not perfect, but that is why he trains so hard and is very serious about his training. Greatness comes from hard work and McGregor is putting the time and effort in to being the best.
Even though on paper, fighters such as Frankie Edgar or Ricardo Lamas seem more deserving that McGregor for a title shot against Aldo, it can also be argued that McGregor’s time is now. With the recent issues surrounding superstar light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones and his positive test for cocaine, the UFC is in dire need for another superstar in the sport. Ronda Rousey is an indestructible force in the women’s bantamweight division and has starred in movies. Anthony Pettis has been on a Wheaties box and has highlight reel moves that look like they are out of a video game. Chris Weidman is known for taking out legends of the sport. All these champions are great and valid superstars, but if McGregor has it in him to beat Siver and then Aldo, the UFC might possibly see it’s greatest superstar ever. As McGregor has said “I’m not here to take part, I’m here to take over!”
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