Conor McGregor is a professional Irish mixed martial artist who is currently signed to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He is the reigning UFC Lightweight Champion, and former UFC Featherweight Champion. During his career, McGregor has also competed as a welterweight. He is number 15 in official UFC pound-for-pound rankings as of June 2018, and as of August 2016, he was ranked the No. 1 featherweight and No. 9 pound-for-pound fighter in official UFC rankings.
McGregor began his career in 2008 when he started training at Dublin’s Straight Blast Gym (SBG). In 2009, he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships, becoming the first European professional MMA fighter to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously. He made his UFC debut in April 2013 and, in 2015, he became the UFC Featherweight Champion after defeating Jose Aldo at UFC 194 in thirteen seconds, which is the fastest victory in a title fight in UFC history. Upon defeating Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205, McGregor became the first fighter to hold titles in two weight divisions simultaneously. He is also the only fighter to have won a championship belt while being inactive.
In his previous bout at welterweight, a rematch with Nate Diaz at UFC 202, McGregor won via majority decision. In March 2019, it was announced that McGregor would face Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout on January 18, 2020 at UFC 246.
McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history and his engaging trash talk and aggressive approach to promotion have been credited as the key factor in his rise to prominence. McGregor’s debut professional boxing match against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in August 2017 broke numerous financial and PPV records, including 4.3 million buys in North America, making it the second-most purchased PPV ever behind only Mayweather vs. Pacquiao in 2015. Forbes listed McGregor as the No. 4 highest paid athlete in 2018 with an estimated earnings of $99 million. In 2019, he dropped to fifth place with earnings of $47 million; however still remained the highest paid MMA fighter for that year. In September 2020, he was ranked as the 21st highest paid athlete in the world with annual earnings of $32 million.
McGregor has been involved in several controversies throughout his career. In April 2015, he was arrested and charged for assaulting a man in a pub in Dublin; he pleaded guilty and was fined €1,000. In November 2016, McGregor flew to New York City to promote UFC 205 at a press conference; after an altercation with a rival fighter who had been trash-talking him, McGregor threw a chair at a bus which injured several people. He was subsequently arrested and charged with assault and criminal mischief. He pled guilty to disorderly conduct and was sentenced to five days of community service plus anger management classes, and ordered to pay restitution. In April 2018, McGregor was arrested in Miami Beach, Florida and charged with strong-armed robbery and criminal mischief after allegedly taking a fan’s phone and smashing it on the ground. He pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of misdemeanor disorderly conduct in March 2019, and was sentenced to time served (40 days). Afterward he criticized the leniency of his sentence, saying “I don’t think this will stop me.”
In October 2018, audio leaked of McGregor punching a fifty year old man in a pub in Dublin after the man refused a drink from him. The victim did not wish to press charges but Gda Paul Kavanagh said that he would be seeking a file from the Director of Public Prosecutions.
McGregor has been in a relationship with Dee Devlin since 2008; they have two children together. In 2017, he bought an €8.5 million mansion overlooking the sea in Dublin. He also owns a portfolio of properties in Ireland and the US. McGregor is a Catholic.
McGregor has said that mixed martial arts (MMA) has helped him deal with anger issues. When he was seventeen, he was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). As a child, he engaged in boxing, football and motocross racing. He began taekwondo lessons at age eleven, attained his black belt by age fourteen, and won several Irish championships before he decided to quit at the age of sixteen. McGregor also began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club when he was twelve and won the Dublin Novice Championship title in his first year. At age eighteen, McGregor moved with his family to Lucan in West Dublin, attending Gaelcholáiste Coláiste Cois Life. He later enrolled in a plumbing course at Institute of Technology Tallaght but dropped out after two years.
In 2006 and 2007, McGregor had successful ten-fight amateur careers in both Cage Warriors and Ring of Truth, respectively. Afterward, he turned professional and signed with the Irish Cage of Truth promotion. In 2008, aged eighteen, McGregor made his mixed martial arts (MMA) debut as an amateur against Kieran Campbell for the CWFC Featherweight Championship. He lost via technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. Following that, he prepared for a professional MMA career.
In 2008, McGregor began training at Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin under John Kavanagh. He made his professional MMA debut in early 2009 against Garry Morris with a Guillotine choke submission in the first round. After signing with the UFC, McGregor made his promotional debut against Marcus Brimage on 6 April 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. He won the fight via TKO in the first round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. McGregor then defeated Max Holloway on 19 July 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26 by unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to thirteen fights.
In January 2015, at UFC 182, McGregor defeated Dustin Poirier by TKO in the first round. This win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. In his next fight, at UFC 189 on 11 July 2015, McGregor faced Chad Mendes for the interim UFC Featherweight Championship. He loss via TKO in the second round after Mendes took him down and controlled him for most of the fight. Despite this loss, McGregor’s performance was praised.
On 12 December 2015, at UFC 194, McGregor defeated José Aldo by KO in thirteen seconds to become the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion and earn a Performance of the Night bonus. This was the fastest victory in a UFC title fight. In his next fight, at UFC 196 on 5 March 2016, McGregor defeated Nate Diaz by majority decision (48–47, 47–47, 48–47) in a non-title welterweight bout. This fight earned him his second Performance of the Night bonus award.
In his next two fights, McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history and then lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. After the loss to Khabib, McGregor took an extended break from MMA and returned to boxing to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a much-publicized bout on 26 August 2017. He lost via TKO in the tenth round.
McGregor is currently ranked as the No. 4 featherweight and the No. 15 pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Sherdog. He is also ranked as the No. 2 fighter in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. McGregor is the former UFC Featherweight Champion and the former Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. He has also competed as a welterweight in mixed martial arts (MMA), holding wins over Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez.
In 2008, McGregor began training at Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin under John Kavanagh. He made his professional MMA debut in early 2009 against Garry Morris with a Guillotine choke submission in the first round. After signing with the UFC, McGregor made his promotional debut against Marcus Brimage on 6 April 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. He won the fight via TKO in the first round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. McGregor then defeated Max Holloway on 19 July 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26 by unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to thirteen fights.
In January 2015, at UFC 182, McGregor defeated Dustin Poirier by TKO in the first round. This win earned him a Performance of the Night bonus. In his next fight, at UFC 189 on 11 July 2015, McGregor faced Chad Mendes for the interim UFC Featherweight Championship. He loss via TKO in the second round after Mendes took him down and controlled him for most of the fight. Despite this loss, McGregor’s performance was praised.
On 12 December 2015, at UFC 194, McGregor defeated José Aldo by KO in thirteen seconds to become the undisputed UFC Featherweight Champion and earn a Performance of the Night bonus. This was the fastest victory in a UFC title fight. In his next fight, at UFC 196 on 5 March 2016, McGregor defeated Nate Diaz by majority decision (48–47, 47–47, 48–47) in a non-title welterweight bout. This fight earned him his second Performance of the Night bonus award.
In his next two fights, McGregor defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205 to become the first simultaneous two-division champion in UFC history and then lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. After the loss to Khabib, McGregor took an extended break from MMA and returned to boxing to face Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a much-publicized bout on 26 August 2017. He lost via TKO in the tenth round.
McGregor is currently ranked as the No. 4 featherweight and the No. 15 pound-for-pound fighter in the world by Sherdog. He is also ranked as the No. 2 fighter in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. McGregor is the former UFC Featherweight Champion and the former Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. He has also competed as a welterweight in mixed martial arts (MMA), holding wins over Nate Diaz and Eddie Alvarez.
In 2008, McGregor began training at Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin under John Kavanagh. He made his professional MMA debut in early 2009 against Garry Morris with a Guillotine choke submission in the first round. After signing with the UFC, McGregor made his promotional debut against Marcus Brimage on 6 April 2013 at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. He won the fight via TKO in the first round and was awarded a Performance of the Night bonus. McGregor then defeated Max Holloway on 19 July 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26 by unanimous decision to extend his winning streak to thirteen fights.
