5 times Conor McGregor proved he's the best trash-talker in UFC history

Conor McGregor has captured the imagination of the masses with his incredible trash talk on more than one occasion. As one of the most ruthless trash-talkers in the game, the superstar has used his wit to throw his opponents off before big fights throughout his storied career.

During the rise of Conor McGregor in the UFC, fans witnessed his brash nature come out in some of the most pivotal moments in the promotion's history. McGregor's bombastic attitude has changed the way many fighters perceive MMA today.

Following a successful period in the UFC, Conor McGregor took his trash-talking services to the boxing world. In what many believed would never happen, McGregor reeled in his first professional boxing match against Floyd 'Money' Mayweather. While McGregor's bid at boxing has been put on ice, the Irishman's trash talk has immortalized his name in the MMA community.

Here are 5 times Conor McGregor proved he's the best trash talker in UFC history.

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#5. Conor McGregor: "Who the f*** is that guy?"

Conor McGregor has delivered numerous unforgettable lines throughout his career. One line in particular that stands out was in 2016 when McGregor was at a pre-fight press conference. After securing the featherweight title and avenging his loss to Nate Diaz, 'The Notorious' beat Jeremy Stephens to the punch at the UFC 205 pre-fight presser.

When Conor McGregor was asked by a reporter who he believed would be the toughest fight on stage, the superstar took a moment to reply. Before he could utter a word, the hard-hitting 145-pound Jeremy Stephens responded to the question. After Stephens claimed he would be McGregor's hardest fight, the Irishman looked both ways, unclear of who was speaking.

The infamous one-liner was born when McGregor responded to Stephens with "Who the f** is that guy?!"

After landing the venomous quip, Stephens responded by emphasizing his knockout power. Looking back on the memorable exchange, Conor McGregor fondly recalls the encounter.

Following the UFC 205 pre-fight presser incident, Jeremy Stephens attempted to re-spark the flame when he posted a picture of himself alongside Conor McGregor's mother on Twitter. Suffice to say, the attempted jab at the Irishman was laughed off in the end. To this day, that one-liner remains one of McGregor's most impactful moments of trash talk.

#4. Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather

Conor McGregor did the unthinkable when he landed the Floyd Mayweather fight in 2017. Hailed as 'The Money Fight', the two stars of their respective sports met in a boxing match for bragging rights. In an unprecedented world tour, McGregor and Mayweather flew all around the globe to promote the fight.

The press conference between McGregor and Mayweather in Toronto, Canada was special. Aside from hoards of people desperate to witness the two superstars bickering, the charisma of Conor McGregor overshadowed the show. Out of all of McGregor's opponents, Mayweather seemed to handle his trash-talking best.

Conor McGregor had the Toronto crowd eating out of the palm of his hand. In an effort to throw Mayweather off before the contest, the Irish superstar convinced the majority of the Canadian crowd to chant "F*** the Mayweathers" in unison.

The Mayweather fight brought Conor McGregor's trash talk into the mainstream spotlight. It appeared the Irishman was playing with house money by the time he got into the boxing ring with Mayweather. While he would prove to be unsuccessful, some of his greatest moments of trash talk came out of the world tour.

With zero professional boxing bouts under his belt, Conor McGregor used every resource he had to prepare for Floyd Mayweather. McGregor's famous chant at Toronto's press conference still rings to this day as one of the greatest moments of trash talk in MMA history.

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#3. Conor McGregor at the UFC 205 press conference with Eddie Alvarez

Following his evisceration of Jose Aldo in 13 seconds, the momentum behind Conor McGregor was seemingly at an all-time high. The former featherweight champion avenged his loss to Nate Diaz in a 'Fight of the Night' performance. With the wind back in the Irishman's sails, the UFC paired him with lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez.

Conor McGregor and Eddie Alvarez went at it during the UFC 205 pre-fight press conference. While Alvarez was able to slip a couple of jokes in himself, it was McGregor who ran away with the show. The Irishman claimed he owned New York at the presser. Alvarez is an East Coast native but was forced to laugh it off.

When asked about Eddie Alvarez's championship-winning performance against Rafael dos Anjos, Conor McGregor gave a bold but humorous reading of Alvarez's skillset. In essence, the Irish superstar trashed Alvarez's shot selection and movement. Despite Alvarez winning the lightweight title in July 2016, McGregor brushed off any accolade that Alvarez carried into the anticipated showdown.

'Mystic Mac' almost returned during the UFC 205 press conference. The Irish superstar predicted that he would KO Eddie Alvarez within one round. McGregor wound up finishing him in round two. En route to some of McGregor's best trash-talking moments, he nearly turned the world on its axis with his victory against 'The Underground King'.

#2. Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes pre-fight press conference

Prior to competing for the interim featherweight belt, Conor McGregor and Chad Mendes had a war of words. At the UFC 189 pre-fight press conference, the world saw a hungry McGregor yet to achieve the numerous accolades that he has now.

In the midst of his UFC rise, Conor McGregor appeared to enter each UFC bout with a bulletproof mindset. The Ireland representative had a knack for putting added pressure on consequential fights in his career.

After responding to Ariel Helwani at the press conference, Conor McGregor was critical of Mendes befriending Jose Aldo on social media. 'The Notorious' implied that Mendes was a scared animal. The Irish superstar also ridiculed the stand-up ability of 'Money'. McGregor insinuated that the extent of Mendes' striking is throwing an overhand right, closing his eyes, and shooting a takedown.

McGregor would criticize Mendes' wrestling ability as well. When asked about his opponent's fervor, Conor McGregor shot down Mendes' cardio, leaving no stone unturned.

During Conor McGregor's rise to superstardom, his ability to talk trash was amongst the best to ever do it. In his legendary UFC 189 performance against Chad Mendes, McGregor captured his first UFC world title by TKO in round two. The Irishman proved his trash talk was more than just words.

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#1. Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz

Conor McGregor picked up his trash talk before his first fight with Stockton's Nate Diaz. The 170-pound contest was highly anticipated. McGregor was moving up two weight classes to compete against a short-notice opponent and the world stood eager to see the pair throw down.

In a stunning turn of events, the tide changed and McGregor was rocked by a Diaz combination in round two of their first encounter. After McGregor shot for a sloppy takedown, Diaz's victory came by turning the Irishman over with a slick guillotine choke attempt. Following a dramatic rear-naked choke victory for Diaz, McGregor was eager to run it back and talked his way into an instant-rematch.

At the UFC 196 press conference, Conor McGregor enjoyed one of his more hilarious trash-talking moments. McGregor equated Diaz to a cholo gangster from the hood, after drawing humor from the fact that he teaches children Brazilian jui-jitsu on Sundays.

Conor McGregor arrived in a feisty mood for the UFC 202 pre-fight press conference with Diaz. Despite coming off the first submission defeat of his UFC career, the Irish superstar entered the press conference with an air of determination. Even in the throes of defeat, McGregor delivered some of the best trash-talking in the UFC's history.