Conor McGregor has become a true global force since joining the UFC. In and out of the octagon, people know the name of the “Notorious” one, whether for good or bad reasons.
The former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion is rehabbing after surgery. While it is unknown when he will return to action, he is ready to reclaim his throne.
The Sporting News looks into Conor McGregor’s MMA career and how he came to be one of the most polarizing figures in combat sports today.
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What is Conor McGregor’s MMA record?
Conor McGregor has a 22-6 MMA record. Since joining the UFC in 2013, McGregor is 10-4.
McGregor started boxing at the age of 12. In 2007 at 18, McGregor made his amateur MMA debut. He had his first professional bout in 2008.
Conor McGregor bio
McGregor, 33, played for Lourdes Celtic Football Club. In 2006 he started training in MMA. The year he made his debut, McGregor started working with SBG’s John Kavanagh.
McGregor went 4-2 to start his MMA career. He lost to Joseph Duffy in 2010 in his Cage Warriors debut. After that loss, he went on a 15-fight win streak. McGregor beat Dave Hill in 2012 for the Cage Warriors featherweight title. A few months later he beat Ivan Buchinger for the Cage Warriors lightweight title. It was a sign of things to come.
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In 2013, McGregor joined the UFC. He beat Max Holloway and Dustin Poirier early in his career. Against Chad Mendes in 2015, McGregor beat him via TKO to win the interim UFC featherweight title. At UFC 194, it only took 13 seconds for McGregor to take out Jose Aldo, becoming undisputed featherweight champion in the process.
McGregor would then face Nate Diaz in a series of bouts between the UFC’s most popular fighters at the time. McGregor lost his first UFC fight at UFC 196, tapping out to a rear-naked choke. McGregor won the rematch against Diaz at UFC 202 via majority decision. Fans have requested a trilogy fight for years. Inside Madison Square Garden at UFC 205 in 2016, McGregor beat Eddie Alvarez to win the UFC lightweight title and become a two-division champion.
The Irishman would not return to the octagon until 2018, as he fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing bout and was involved in a number of legal issues. When he did return, McGregor, who was stripped of both titles for not defending them, lost to Khabib Numagomedov at UFC 229 for the lightweight title. It was a personal bout that saw a brawl form after the fight.
After the loss, McGregor beat Donald Cerrone in January 2020, about two years since the Khabib fight. McGregor returned in January 2021, losing to Poirier via TKO. With the series tied 1-1, the trilogy was set. McGregor lost to Poirier via TKO at UFC 264 in July 2021. The fight ended after McGregor broke his tibia.
UFC president Dana White hopes McGregor returns in late 2022 or early 2023. Fights that McGregor could take include a fourth Poirier fight, a third Diaz fight and a bout against Tony Ferguson.