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Conor McGregor is as electrifying and enigmatic as a fighter has been. From his debut in Sweden to present day, McGregor has the intangibles to draw attention to himself. While things have been rocky in his fight career lately, it's important to remember his accomplishments.
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Many have claimed that he's just a good talker and many have been proven wrong. 'The Notorius' has finished 19 of his 22 wins by KO/TKO. These finishes are often from his very dangerous and signature left cross.
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Fans and fighters alike still argue that the Irishman isn't as good as some claim despite the resumé. He even went as far as having an exhibition boxing match with Floyd Mayweather, where he'd make many analysts in the boxing community retract their comments with his valiant effort.
Despite the loss to Mayweather, 'The Notorious' showed that he was game even for the toughest challenges and that his skills are of a high pedigree. While more intense fans will write McGregor off because casual fans favor him, his record and accomplishments show that he's a very skilled martial artist.
Competing with Mayweather, winning UFC championships and knocking out 86% of his MMA competition all prove that McGregor is beyond his words, but a dangerous fighter amongst a brash personality. Here are the five best Conor McGregor finishes in the UFC.
#5. Conor McGregor vs. Chad Mendes
As McGregor was preparing to fight the then featherweight champion Jose Aldo, an injury pulled the Brazilian from the bout and Mendes couldn't refuse the opportunity to replace him.
Prior to a previous win, Mendes was coming off of his second loss to Aldo. Losing both fights to the champion makes it hard to stake a claim for a third fight. While the rematch was very close and could've gone either way, Aldo retained his belt and moved forward with his win streak.
When Aldo pulled out, Mendes saw his road back to gold present itself. The first speedbump would be Conor McGregor. 'Money' was deemed the hardest matchup for 'Notorious' stylistically. Powerful shots and great wrestling had fans on the McGregor train pretty nervous.
The fight showed the grit that both fighters possessed. Hard shots coming from both directions had the two combatants roughed up. Although Mendes was successful, Conor McGregor's body shots eventually showed results. As the guard started dropping, the Irishman's patented left-hand found its home and decommissioned Mendes.
#4. Conor McGregor vs. Marcus Brimage
Marcus Brimage was the unfortunate adversary of McGregor's debut in the UFC. The former double-champ entered this bout riding an 8-fight win streak, each of these wins by finish. Brimage had a 4-fight winning streak himself.
The fight served as the ultimate introduction of what's to come from McGregor. The crisp striking, great agility and personality were all on display that night. Multiple uppercuts landed and 'The Bama Beast' went down after about a minute of action.
An impressive finish was followed by McGregor's first famous one-liner: "Dana, 60 G's baby!" Knocking out Brimage was one of the most important milestones of his career. Had this gone any different, fans might've not been exposed to the superstar that elevated the sport the way he has.
#3. Conor McGregor vs. Dustin Poirier at UFC 257
After competing against each other three times, McGregor and Poirier's rivalry still feels unfinished. The two fighters first met in 2014 for a featherweight bout at UFC 257. 'Mystic Mac' predicted that this fight would be easy and it sure was as he beat 'The Diamond' in the very first round via TKO.
Poirior landed a few shots and was well prepared for McGregor's straight left. Adjustments were made and a shot landed around the guard of 'The Diamond', which put him on the mat. Follow-up shots finished the fight and added stock to the rise of McGregor.
The bout did more than give him title contention, but it planted the seed for their future fights in the lightweight division and potentially a fourth fight once McGregor recovers from his leg injury. McGregor and Poirier have had a rocky relationship with each other, but fans have loved every second of it.
#2. Conor McGregor vs. Eddie Alvarez
This fight will remain a staple in the history of the UFC. When 'The Notorious' and 'The Underground King' met, the featherweight champion moved up to fight for "champ-champ" status by taking on the lightweight champion.
Alvarez had just finished Rafael Dos Anjos in the first round to become the lightweight champion and McGregor avenged his first UFC setback in a very entertaining set of fights against Nate Diaz. Both fighters had steam behind them, making for a clash-collision of a main event.
Unfortunate for Alvarez, his time as champion was short-lived. McGregor ran through him with ease. Multiple knockdowns and stuffed takedowns reinforced the thought of McGregor's home being at lightweight. A beautiful combination floored Alvarez which led to the UFC's first ever double champion in Conor McGregor.
#1. Conor McGregor vs. Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo was the first featherweight champion in UFC history. He held onto this belt for an impressive amount of time with an even more impressive list of names that he's defeated. Taking on 'The Notorious' was the biggest competition in his career, whether he thinks his opponent deserved the opportunity or not.
One thing this fight didn't lack was media coverage due to Aldo having to pull out due to an injury. McGregor took on the aforementioned Chad Mendes and won the interim featherweight belt. This made the fight against Aldo that much bigger.
Once UFC 194 arrived, the Brazilian was very tired of the trash talk and antics of McGregor. However, it was his counterpart and the trash talk that comes with him that made this event so huge. The biggest task of McGregor's career at the time was passed flawlessly in the form of a 13-second KO victory.
