Conor Mcgregor is a global superstar, and he is known all over the globe for his time-fighting in the UFC. When he burst on the MMA scene, fans not only fell in love with the Irishman but with the sport in general. His confidence reminded sports fans of Muhammad Ali, arguably the greatest boxer the world has ever seen. McGregor helped UFC become the global phenomenon it is today.
As his career progressed, even the most avid McGregor fanatics started to lose interest in the Dubliner. Outside the octagon, he seemed to find himself getting into trouble on a regular basis. Although a lot of these situations helped grow the fighter’s popularity, many people decided to turn against him.
Trash Talk Works, When You Are Winning
McGregor is known as one of the best trash-talking fighters on the planet. He has a way with words, and it has helped him get under the skin of many of his opponents in the past, and other fighters have followed in his footsteps. It also helps generate interest before the start of the fight, which helps make a lot of money for him, his advertisers, and the UFC. Most fans tune in to watch the build-up before the fight takes place, which is all part of big events nowadays.
Many find his trash-talking humorous, while others are disgusted at what comes out of his mouth, however, when he was consistently winning fights, he lived up to what he was saying. These days, things haven’t been going to plan for the Irishman, and now that he has lost two fights to Dustin Poirer on the trout, he has failed to live up to what he has been saying in the press conferences and on social media platforms. Although McGregor is still very popular, many hope that he loses every time he steps into the octagon.
He Flaunts his Cash
During these unprecedented times, many people have found themselves unemployed. The ongoing pandemic has had a terrible impact on the world’s economy, and families all over the globe are struggling to put food on the table. McGregor knows what it is like to grow up with very little. When he quit his plumbing course as a young man, he registered for unemployment to focus on his MMA career. He was earning less than €200 per week, which is extremely difficult to live on, especially in a city like Dublin.
Now that he has earned his millions, he is not afraid to tell everyone about it. He is often in photographs showing off his bundles of cash, and he talks about making money in almost every press conference he is in. For many, it is all part of the show, but during the pandemic, with so many people barely making ends meet, many feel he should avoid boasting about his wealth.
His Fight with Floyd Mayweather
Very few boxing experts gave McGregor a chance against Floyd Mayweather when the two decided to battle it out in a traditional boxing ring. However, the Irishman performed a lot better than most had imagined. At the end of the day, he lost the fight but still went on to make a huge sum of money.
People in the boxing world felt that he was tarnishing the sport’s reputation and that Mayweather should have never agreed to the fight. There were plenty of boxers who worked hard their entire lives who would have dreamed about fighting the American undisputed champion, and felt McGregor didn’t deserve the opportunity.
However, very few could blame McGregor for stepping into the boxing ring, due to the amount of cash the fight would generate. They made sure they would milk as much money as they could by organizing press conferences in many different cities. It seemed the whole world tuned in to watch the bout unfold, and it was reported that McGregor walked away from the fight with $130 million.
Many Irish People Feel Ashamed
The Republic of Ireland is a small country, with a population of just under 5 million people. However, the country is known for producing some of the best athletes the world has ever seen. In modern times, footballers like Roy Keane, world champion boxers like Katie Taylor, and Tour De France champion Stephen Rouche, are just a few sportspeople who have made a name for themselves around the world.
However, most Irish people come off as modest individuals, even when they are winning. They rarely look back at the past as they are constantly striving for more success. It is a nation known for competitive athletes, and boasting about success is often frowned upon. A lot of the people don’t appreciate the drunken stereotype, yet many people feel that Conor McGregor is dragging their country through the mud. It is common for Irish who enjoy gambling on slots and other casino games to bet against their fellow Irish man.
McGregor was involved in an alteration in a pub in Dublin in 2019. The UFC Champion punched an old age pensioner after he refused to drink some of McGregor’s whiskey. Video footage later appeared online, which showed McGregor striking the old man when he wasn’t looking. Many assumed the MMA fighter was under the influence, and people across the country, and the rest of the world were embarrassed at what he had done.
Conclusion
McGregor, whether he likes it or not, is loved by fans. He had a great opportunity to encourage young people, especially those who grew up with very little money to succeed in life, but it seems he has decided to go down a very different path. It’s not too late for the fighter to change his tune, but if he doesn’t change his attitude, it is expected that more and more people will lose interest in what he does in and outside the octagon. He has plenty of talent, and if he can recover after his recent leg break, who knows, he might be able to start winning fights again, but many feel that the money he has earned has gone straight to his head, and it is unlikely we will see the same McGregor we saw during the early stages of his wonderful, yet controversial career.
