September 3, 2017 | Shannon Quinn

Notorious Facts About Conor McGregor


Conor McGregor has won both the UFC Featherweight and Lightweight Championships. He quickly rose to fame as one of the greatest fighters the world has ever seen.

“I'm not going to get somewhere and say, 'OK, I'm done.' Success is never final; I'll just keep on going. The same way as failure never being fatal. Just keep going. I'm going to the stars and then past them.” - Conor McGregor


Conor McGregor Facts

1. Erin Go Bragh

Conor McGregor was born in Dublin, Ireland. He is the first Irish man to ever join the UFC.

UFC 229: Khabib v McGregorHarry How, Getty Images

2. Boys Will Be Boys

As a kid growing up in Ireland, Conor would get into fights with some of the neighborhood kids. When the scuffle was over, he found himself analyzing every move of the fight that just happened. If he lost, he was thinking about moves that would help him win the next time. He felt like it was necessary in order to keep himself safe.

Conor McGregor sitting on top of a carKeith J Finks, Shutterstock

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3. Life-Changing Moment

One of the worst fights he ever got in as a kid was when he liked a girl from his school who had an older boyfriend. The boyfriend got jealous, and got all of his friends together to jump Conor. The traumatic experience made him very motivated to actually start training how to fight in martial arts.

Conor McGregor UFC Open WorkoutJosh Hedges, Getty Images

4. Time to Learn

After getting into one too many schoolyard scraps, he joined up in kickboxing and ju jitsu classes, to learn real fighting techniques when he was 12 years old.

Photo of Conor McGregor in 2018Kremlin.ru, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

5. Footballer

Along with going to fighting classes, he also joined up with a local football club to play soccer after school. These sports helped keep him out of trouble.

Conor MReebok Launches The Revolutionary New ZPump Fusion In New York CitycGregor factsMichael Loccisano, Getty Images

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6. Give Peace a Chance

As an adult, Conor McGregor advocates against bullying, and goes to youth centers to speak to kids about the importance of non-violence.

UFC 229 - Open WorkoutsStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

7. He’s Going Somewhere

In 2007, he fought in the Irish Ring of Truth as his first amateur fight with an audience. The owners of the Irish Cage of Truth were impressed with him, so they signed him on for a sponsorship.

Conor McGregor After-Fight Party And Wynn Nightlife Residency Debut, Encore Beach Club At Night In Wynn Las VegasDavid Becker, Getty Images

8. Going for the Gold

In 2008, he won the title of Cage Warrior Featherweight Champion. He also won the Lightweight Championships for MMA.

UFC Fight Night - Conor McGregor v Dennis SiverSportsfile, Getty Images

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9. Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better

In 2009, UFC 93 came to Dublin, Ireland. Conor McGregor was in the crowd, watching the fight. Once he saw it face-to-face, he became confident that he could handle going up against professional fighters.

Conor McGregor: Notorious World Premiere - Savoy CinemaBrian Lawless, Getty Images

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10. Nearly Perfect

In his entire professional career, Conor McGregor only lost 3 fights. His record is 21 to 3.

Conor McGregor UFC 229 - Weigh InsStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

11. Self-Doubt

One of his first professional losses was only his third fight in his professional career. This made McGregor seriously question if he was meant to become a pro MMA fighter. He stopped going to practice, and his parents started to worry about him, because he was hanging out with some bad dudes. His coaches had to step in and talk him out of his slump so he could get back in the ring.

UFC 202: Diaz v McGregor 2Steve Marcus, Getty Images

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12. Sight Unseen

President of the UFC, Dana White, was visiting Dublin, Ireland in 2013 on vacation. He wasn’t even trying to do business, but people were recognizing him in pubs, and telling him that he needed to watch Conor McGregor fight. After hearing multiple people tell him the same thing, he decided to contact Conor, and gave him a contract without ever seeing him fight.

Aldo vs. McGregor in LondonAndrius Petrucenia, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

13. The Debut

He officially joined the UFC as a fighter in 2013 . He fought against Marcus Brimage, and it aired on Fuel TV.

Conor McGregor SWEDEN-FIGHTINGJESSICA GOW, Getty Images

14. Leaky Pipes

Before becoming a professional fighter, Conor McGregor worked as a plumber in Ireland.

Dublin - Father Mathew BridgeBarcex, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

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15. Both Bark and Bite

He has a reputation for smack-talking his opponents during a fight. There are times when he even begins screaming at them before the opponent gets a chance to open their mouths. This is part of his intimidation technique. “You beat him verbally. You beat him mentally, and then finally, you beat him physically. That's the three ways to beat a man.”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor - Weigh-inEthan Miller, Getty Images

16. Heroes

People have called Conor McGregor “the new Muhammad Ali” because they both share the same trash-talking style and track record for victories. McGregor humbly denies the comparison, but admits that he is a huge Muhammad Ali fan.

Public photo of Muhammad Ali in 1966Unknown Artist, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons

17. Fast and Furious

He has knocked out a fighter in the record of only 4 seconds.

Conor McGregor UFC 205: Open WorkoutsMichael Reaves, Getty Images

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18. Keep Your Enemies Closer

His main rival is a fighter named Jose Aldo. He has publically trash-talked him during interviews, saying how he is always eager to fight him.

Conor McGregor UFC 189: Aldo v McGregor World Championship Tour Media DaySportsfile, Getty Images

19. Momento

He carried around one of his grandfather’s old hats. It’s wasn’t exactly a superstitious good-luck charm. He claims that it reminded him of where he came from, and keeps him down-to-earth. Sadly, his bag was stolen from his car in 2014, and his grandfather’s hat went along with it.

Conor McGregor UFC 229 - Open WorkoutsStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

20. Overnight Success

At a press conference after winning one of his fights, he told the audience with a huge smile on his face how only a week earlier, he was collecting social welfare. The prize money meant that it was no longer necessary for him to live in poverty.

Conor McGregor UFC 229 - Press ConferenceStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

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21. Make an Entrance

His walkout song is called “Foggy Dew” by Sinead O’Connor & The Chieftans. Their music is very traditionally Irish-sounding. His walkout song was almost “Shipping Up to Boston” by the Dropkick Murphy’s, which is also very Irish.

Conor McGregor UFC Fight Night: McGregor v SiverMike Roach, Getty Images

22. Represent

He is known for wrapping himself in the Irish flag when he makes an entrance.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregorChristian Petersen, Getty Images

23. Non-Stop Adrenaline

Apparently, Conor McGregor thinks about fighting 24/7. He reports waking up in the middle of the night with the sudden urge to punch something. Even his own trainer called him “obsessed.”

Conor McGregor Media WorkoutEthan Miller, Getty Images

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24. One Tough Cookie

Conor McGregor gets hurt on a regular basis, but that doesn’t stop him from doing his best. In a fight against Max Holloway, he tore is ACL, and still somehow managed to fight through the pain and win.

UFC Fight Night: McGregor v HollowayJared Wickerham, Getty Images

25. Putting Up Blinders

Conor McGregor says that he doesn’t allow the outside world to distract him from succeeding in fighting. “I am in the fighting game. I don't care about anything else. I don't watch the news, I don't care about politics, I don't care about other sports. I don't care about anything I don't need to care about. This is my sport: it is my life. I study it; I think about it all the time. Nothing else matters.”

UFC 229 Khabib v McGregor: Press ConferenceIsaac Brekken, Getty Images

26. Appearances Matter

He is known for going out on the town looking great in designer clothes. At the 2014 VIP Awards in Ireland, he was voted as the Most Stylish Man. He was quoted saying, “There are two things I really like to do: Whoop ass, and look good.”

London Celebrity Sightings - December 03, 2017Mark R. Milan, Getty Images

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27. One Tough Family

According to Conor McGregor’s dad, their family is full of “outlaws.” He attributes that to his son’s “fighting blood.” It may be true that this runs in their family, because Conor’s sister is also a bodybuilder.

Conor McGregor: Notorious World Premiere - Savoy CinemaBrian Lawless, Getty Images

28. Spiritual, not Religious

Conor McGregor has been quoted saying that he reads books on The Law of Attraction. He also says that while he is not religious at all, he channels his faith and belief in himself, rather than asking God for help. He credits this mindset for his success.

UFC 229: Khabib v McGregorMediaNews Group, Getty Images

29. Yummy

Conor says he loves to train, but the only difficult part about getting ready to compete is watching his diet so that he doesn’t change his weight class. He says he can’t wait until he get older and retires. “I’ll be a little happy fat guy.”

UFC 196: Weigh-insRey Del Rio, Getty Images

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30. Equal Rights

In 2015, when Ireland was voting whether they were going to allow same-sex marriage or not, Conor McGregor publicly showed his support for the LGBT community.

2015 Ireland  same-sex marriageWilliam Murphy, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

31. Can’t Knock the Hustle

Some athletes and celebrities take offense to “fake fans” who get autographs just to resell them on eBay. Conor McGregor has publically said that he doesn’t mind at all. Coming from a poor background, he actually respects their hustle to wait in line in order to make a few bucks.

UFC Fight Night - Conor McGregor v Dennis Siver - Open WorkoutsSportsfile, Getty Images

32. Influencer

Conor McGregor signed endorsement deals with Beats by Dr. Dre and Anheuser Busch brewery. This means he will make millions in marketing with them.

Beats by Dre headphonesMatthew Raymundo, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons

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33. That’s Cool?Con

Conor has a script tattoo written on this leg. He claims that he had no idea what it said, he just thought it looked good.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor match.Christian Petersen, Getty Images

34. McGregor. Conor McGregor.

He was offered the role of one of the many villains in the James Bond movie Spectre. He thought about it for a while, but eventually decided to turn it down.

'Spectre' German Premiere In BerlinSean Gallup, Getty Images

35. Commitment

Conor McGregor’s girlfriend, Dee Devlin has been with him since the very beginning. She even quit her job to help him manage the new business of being a fighter.

Conor McGregor Hosts At Intrigue Nightclub In Wynn Las VegasDavid Becker, Getty Images

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36. Oh, Baby

Conor McGregor has been dating his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, for nearly 10 years. They had their first child together in 2017. They named him Conor Jack.

Conor McGregor UFC 229 - Open WorkoutsStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

37. Start Them Young

On his instagram, Conor McGregor has photos of his son on the boxing ring. It’s very likely that he will be teaching him how to fight, when he’s old enough. Could there be a McGregor legacy?

Conor McGregor UFC 229 - Open WorkoutsStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

38. Looking Up

After only being a professional fighter for a handful of years, he quickly made it to the list of Forbes Top 100 Highest Paid Athletes.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor World Press Tour - New YorkMike Stobe, Getty Images

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39. Taking Care of Business

Conor McGregor has an estimated net worth of more than $50 million. While he has admitted to feeling “obsessed” with money, he says he does it to make sure his future family is financially secure. He loves to spoil his family and girlfriend.

Conor McGregor v Dennis SiverSportsfile, Getty Images

40. The Real-Life Rocky

Leading up to the Mayweather vs. McGregor fight, people were calling him the “Real-Life Rocky.” Even Sylvester Stallone himself vocally endorsed McGregor as his favorite to win.

Actor Sylvester Stallone with the arms wide openGage Skidmore, Flickr

41. Raking in the Cash

Whenever Conor McGregor is fighting, the UFC makes millions of dollars. This makes him one of the highest paid fighters in his sport. In the fight against Floyd Mayweather, it was estimated that the revenue would bring in $400 to $500 million for a single fight. Obviously, he only earns a fraction of that, but it’s still a massive amount of money.

Floyd Mayweather Jr v Conor McGregorStephen McCarthy, Getty Images

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42. Home Sweet Home

Conor McGregor calls his house in Las Vegas “The McMansion.” He says that living in Las Vegas feels like he is always on vacation, and he has tons of fun training with his fellow fighters, and then coming home to hang out in his massive Games Room.

Las Vegas Sign NightlyLasVegasGuy, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons

43. Inked

When he first began his fighting career, Conor McGregor didn’t have any tattoos. As time went on, he got more and more. The most noticeable is the massive gorilla tattoo on his chest. He said that the worst pain he ever experienced in his life was when he got the gorilla tattoo.

Conor McGregor chest tattooMichael Potts F1, Shutterstock

Sources: 1 2 3 4 5 6


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