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In 2016 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor had the whole world in the palm of his hand as he hoisted two UFC belts at Madison Square Garden.
A box office attraction to his sport at the level of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in boxing, Conor McGregor was reaching heights no UFC fighter before had seen.
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Fast forward to 2021, and much has changed.
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After being stripped of both belts and losing a boxing match to Mayweather, he submitted to then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a highly volatile feud.
The Irishman retired numerous times, had many run-ins with the law, and recently lost to Dustin Poirier twice, both by TKO.
Although Conor McGregor has become Forbes' highest-paid athlete, much of his fans' trust and love was gone.
Seeing as how Conor will have time to regroup and take his time to work on his craft, he is in the perfect position to restart his connection with MMA fans.
Whether it is handling some old business that many fans want to see or fighting certain names, the Irishman needs to regain his aura.
On that note, here's a look at five things Conor McGregor can do to get that love back:
#5. Conor McGregor must remain a villain
At his recent loss at UFC 264, Conor McGregor gave us a side of himself that we haven't seen in a very long time. 'The Notorious' was back.
It was a welcoming sight for many of his fans as they grew to love the bravado and aggressiveness that the Irish superstar had shown us during his peak run.
Between his two fights against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone and Dustin 'The Diamond' Poirier, Conor McGregor showed a more humble and respectful side to him.
But after tasting defeat at the hands of Poirier via TKO from punches, he reverted to his best-known self of villainy, and the fans loved it.
That's what made Conor McGregor so big. His arrogance, trash-talking methods, and brash attitude catapulted the Irishman to superstardom.
He showed a level of charm to back it up too, where he was throwing facts to go along with his threats and insults.
#4. Conor McGregor must back his words up
Conor McGregor's ability to accurately predict spectacular performances helped his meteoric rise.
The Irishman's 'Mystic Mac' interview became iconic because he said he would put his opponents away, and he did, often in the rounds he predicted.
He did it with Eddie Alvarez and also said he would defeat Nate Diaz in their rematch.
He lost to Khabib Nurmagomedov but managed to steal a round on the judges' scorecards, a feat no man had accomplished before.
To regain his notoriety, Conor McGregor must do this again.
#3. Conor McGregor fights Tony Ferguson
Conor McGregor's fight with Tony Ferguson has been a dream bout many fans have wanted since 2017.
'El Cucuy' won the interim lightweight belt after Conor McGregor held the 155 lbs division to a dead end while fighting Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Many die-hard MMA fans held Tony Ferguson in high regard due to his 12-fight winning streak. However, 'El Cucuy' was stripped of his belt due to injury and then lost in a one-sided beatdown to Justin Gaethje.
Ferguson has now lost his last three bouts inside the octagon and has never been given a shot at undisputed gold, with many blaming Conor McGregor.
Should the Irishman give Tony Ferguson a fight, it most certainly won't be for the title, but it would give Ferguson a much-deserved paycheck.
The fight also gives McGregor a true test of his skills against a fighter on a similar losing skid. Ferguson remains an elite fighter at 155 lbs and is ranked no.6 in the lightweight division.
#2. Conor McGregor returns to boxing to defeat Jake Paul
We could take this one with a grain of salt but should the MMA and boxing gods unite to allow Conor McGregor to defeat Jake Paul, then all will be right with the world.
In the recent trend of celebrity crossover boxing, Jake and Logan Paul have become superstars. Jake, who knocked out former MMA champion Ben Askren, will now face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley in the squared circle. Logan recently concluded his bout with Floyd Mayweather, where he went the distance with arguably the greatest boxer to ever live.
Jake Paul has challenged high-end opposition such as Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
Should the Irishman return to boxing to fight and defeat Jake Paul, who, let's assume, defeated Tyron Woodley, it would be a massive affair.
He would avenge the honor of the MMA community, get a satisfying win in the squared circle, and stop the hype of one of the sport's biggest villains.
#1. Conor McGregor completes trilogy against Nate Diaz
Conor McGregor's two fights against Nate Diaz were a thing of beauty. Fans agree as both hold two of the three most PPV buys ever.
At UFC 196, Nate Diaz defeated Conor McGregor in a colossal upset that set the Irishman back.
'The Notorious' was supposed to fight Rafael dos Anjos to become the first two-division champion in the UFC but was forced to face Nate Diaz as the Brazilian pulled out due to injury.
The Stockton native handed McGregor his first loss inside the UFC octagon.
After losing via second-round submission, Conor McGregor faced Diaz in a rematch at UFC 202. The narrative revolved around the Irishman's ability to come back after defeat and make adjustments.
The rematch delivered a 'Fight of the Year' contender and ended in a split decision win for Conor McGregor. Many fans have argued that the decision could have gone Diaz's way.
We recently saw Conor McGregor conclude a trilogy, albeit not on his own terms. Giving one of MMA's most beloved and iconic fighters a crack at their own trilogy fight with the Irishman would be a great business and career decision for McGregor.
