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This weekend sees Conor McGregor face off with Dustin Poirier at UFC 264. After losing to ‘The Diamond’ at UFC 257, it’s safe to say that the Irishman is probably an underdog – not that he’ll mind.
Conor McGregor has built his entire reputation off the back of proving his doubters wrong, and he’ll be looking to do that once again this weekend at UFC 264.
‘The Notorious’ is one of those rare athletes who seems to be able to deliver the goods time after time, no matter what the odds are against him or the pressure on him.
So with one of the biggest fights of his UFC career coming up, here’s a look at five times that Conor McGregor delivered under tremendous pressure.
#5 Conor McGregor vs. Donald Cerrone – UFC 246
Conor McGregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in UFC history, but it’s safe to say that he’s gained his fair share of skeptics over the past few years, particularly after his boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
‘The Notorious’ spent the best part of two years away from the UFC while pursuing the bout. When he returned, he was thoroughly dominated by Khabib Nurmagomedov before taking another year away from the octagon.
When the UFC announced his return at UFC 246 – against tough veteran Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone in a welterweight bout – many fans questioned whether Conor McGregor still had what it takes to compete at the top level.
But if his doubters were expecting a McGregor who looked past his best, they were sorely disappointed. ‘The Notorious’ needed less than a minute to stop Cerrone after smashing his nose with shoulder strikes, stunning him with a head kick and then unloading with a barrage of punches.
Sure, the win wasn’t as historic as some of his older victories, but it still sent a firm message that Conor McGregor was definitely not finished with the UFC. Once again, he’d delivered excellence under immense pressure.
#4 Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier – UFC 178
Conor McGregor’s rivalry with Dustin Poirier is now widely recognized as one of the biggest in UFC history. However, back in 2014 at UFC 178, it was simply a clash of two rising featherweight prospects.
What’s more, Poirier was widely tipped by MMA analysts to hand the Irishman his first defeat inside the octagon. After all, ‘The Diamond’ was much more proven in the UFC, holding a total of eight victories compared to McGregor’s three.
But ‘The Notorious’ was not intimidated by Poirier’s burgeoning reputation. He labeled ‘The Diamond’ a journeyman, and told everyone who’d listen that he’d knock him out in the first round.
McGregor’s ‘Mystic Mac’ routine was entertaining, but it also piled the pressure onto his shoulders. If he were to lose to Poirier, he’d come away with serious egg on his face.
In a stunning performance, the Irishman rose to the occasion and shrugged off the pressure. He fought brilliantly, and lived up to his prediction – knocking Poirier out with a lancing left hand with less than two minutes gone.
The win sent a stark message to the rest of the UFC – the loud-mouthed, cocky ‘Notorious One’ was absolutely for real, and was ready to climb his way to the top.
#3 Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes – UFC 189
By mid-2015, Conor McGregor was all set for his first UFC title shot as the promotion booked him to face longtime featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
However, McGregor’s detractors claimed that he’d been artificially built up, and had never proven himself against top competition. Most notably, they claimed he’d never faced a high-level wrestler.
The claim was true – McGregor’s early UFC opponents were all strikers – but naturally, ‘The Notorious’ was primed to prove that he could defeat a tricky stylistic match-up.
UFC 189 gave him that opportunity, but it also came with a unique sense of pressure. He was supposed to fight Aldo that night, but when the Brazilian picked up an injury, Chad Mendes – one of those wrestlers – stepped in on late notice.
That didn’t stop the UFC pushing the event as arguably their biggest of all time. With live performances from Sinead O’Connor and Aaron Lewis prior to the fight, McGregor vs. Mendes suddenly became a much bigger bout than it had any right to be.
‘The Notorious’ could’ve been forgiven for crumbling under pressure, particularly against a proven opponent like Mendes. Instead, he stepped up like never before, escaping from Mendes’ takedowns to destroy him on the feet en route to a second round TKO.
Not only had Conor McGregor once again risen to the occasion when the pressure was on, he’d thrived on it.
#2 Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez – UFC 205
When Conor McGregor was handed a shot at the UFC lightweight title at UFC 205, he was largely favored to defeat champion Eddie Alvarez. However, the fight didn’t come without a ton of pressure.
Firstly, the Irishman was coming off two of the least convincing performances of his UFC career, including his first octagon loss at the hands of Nate Diaz.
Secondly, this was his chance to make history by becoming the first fighter to simultaneously hold UFC titles in two different weight classes.
And thirdly, UFC 205 was set to be the UFC’s first-ever event in the state of New York, in the famed Madison Square Garden, with the eyes of the world watching. So could McGregor handle that kind of pressure?
Of course he could. If anything, it was the more experienced Alvarez who looked nervy under the big lights. When it came to the fight, he simply couldn’t touch ‘The Notorious’.
Alvarez was knocked down no fewer than five times before the fight was mercifully stopped in the second round, giving McGregor his second UFC title. Once again, he’d proven that when the pressure was on, nobody in the UFC could perform to quite the same standard.
#1 Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo – UFC 194
Arguably the most pressure that Conor McGregor came under during his UFC tenure was in his first ever UFC title fight, against reigning featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
Sure, ‘The Notorious’ had defeated every man put in front of him to that point – including a former title challenger in the form of Chad Mendes – but he’d also piled the pressure on himself by talking an insane amount of trash.
More to the point, Aldo hadn’t been beaten in over a decade, had defended his title on seven occasions in the UFC, and generally looked unstoppable.
Essentially, he was a champion who’d seen everything inside the octagon, and he was confident that he’d be able to teach his brash challenger a lesson in respect.
But by the time the fight came around, the contrast between the two men was clear. Despite the pressure, McGregor looked loose and relaxed, while Aldo looked nervous and potentially psyched out.
Incredibly, the fight lasted just 13 seconds. Evidently, it was Aldo who was feeling the pressure. He stepped in to attempt a strike a little too openly – and Conor McGregor countered with a left, knocking him senseless and stealing his title in the process.
Despite ‘The Notorious’ achieving more glory after this fight, the win over Aldo remains probably his greatest achievement in the UFC – and it was firm evidence that he could deliver under the greatest pressure.
