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Conor McGregor is called 'The Notorious' for a reason. The smack-talking Irishman has an unhealthy habit of stirring the pot and targeting fellow fighters seemingly out of nowhere.
But what makes McGregor so endearing to fans is that he backs the talk up with action most of the time. A huge part of the Dublin native's mystique is built upon his ability to talk an endless amount of trash before pulling out the victory in the octagon.
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However, that isn't always the case. Though McGregor has proven he's not all bark and no bite, the Irishman also has a track record of going after fighters he has zero chance of defeating inside the octagon.
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On that note, listed below are five instances where McGregor picked a fight with fighters he would have no chance against:
#5. Daniel Cormier vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor usually antagonizes fighters in the same division as him. After all, the whole point of starting a rivalry is to generate interest in an upcoming fight or matchup that the UFC can realistically make happen.
But McGregor's feud against fellow ex-two-division champ Daniel Cormier is neither. So how did two fighters separated by three divisions end up finding themselves engaged in a war of words?
'The Notorious' Irishman instigated it over 'DC' criticising him for making tasteless comments about Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father – no surprises here. The bickering between McGregor and the former UFC heavyweight superstar began when Cormier spoke out against McGregor, who sent out a now-deleted tweet that poked fun at Nurmagomedov's tragedy.
Naturally, Cormier defended his longtime training partner and friend. The commentator called McGregor's actions "a cry for help if I've ever seen one."
The Dublin native retaliated by making fun of Cormier's weight and accusing him of showing up intoxicated at UFC events.
Knowing that engaging in a back-and-forth with McGregor was a fool's errand, Cormier decided to stand down, but not without sending a brutal parting message on Twitter. Cormier wrote:
"We can’t fight, it’s all just talk so stop! Thank you for watching! Get help. Win a fight.”
#4. Tyron Woodley vs. Conor McGregor
Back in 2016, Conor McGregor was on a quest to capture his second UFC title in a champion vs. champion showdown against Eddie Alvarez. However, it appears McGregor wasn't content with just two belts.
The Irishman revealed that he had plans on pursuing a third title in the welterweight division, should he emerge as the first-ever champ-champ. In a press conference ahead of UFC 205, McGregor was asked about his interest in moving up to 170 pounds to conquer another division:
"All the belts," Conor McGregor answered before dropping the mic.
Then-welterweight champ Tyron Woodley – who was also present at the event – did not take too kindly to McGregor's comments. 'The Chosen One' chimed in by saying:
"Aye, we punch with way different power in this division. Pack a lunch brother."
Tensions flared between the two as they crossed paths during the official weigh-ins. Woodley greeted his fellow titleholder, only to be greeted by a dagger look from McGregor. Nothing ultimately came of the encounter as the two went their separate ways.
An argument could be made that McGregor beats the current version of Woodley. But a hypothetical matchup between the two in their primes is a less than ideal scenario for the Irishman, to say the least.
#3. Kamaru Usman vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor has a habit of voicing out his opinions about high-profile UFC bouts and inserting himself into the conversation. This clout-chasing tactic was best displayed after Kamaru Usman knocked Jorge Masvidal out to defend his welterweight title at UFC 260.
Shortly after the fight, McGregor hopped on Twitter to put forth the idea of a championship matchup between himself and 'The Nigerian Nightmare.' The Irishman posted a clip from his UFC 257 fight with Dustin Poirier, with the caption:
While McGregor has had success at 170 pounds, he has yet to prove himself against the division's elite. Safe to say, Usman's sheer size, superior wrestling and ever-improving standup game would be a nightmare stylistic matchup for McGregor.
#2. Brock Lesnar vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor's charisma and gift of gab make him a perfect fit for the world of professional wrestling. But the outspoken UFC superstar addressed the possibility of one day making an appearance in the WWE in the most bizarre way.
McGregor was asked if he had any interest in crossing over into the squared circle. In classic McGregor action, a simple question was answered by a vicious rant:
"For the most part, those WWE guys are p***ies. To be honest, they’re messed up p***ies if you ask me. Fair play to Brock, he got in a fight but at the end of the day he’s juiced up to the f***ing eyeballs so how can I respect that?"
The comments came after Brock Lesnar made a successful return to the octagon against Mark Hunt at UFC 200. It was later revealed that he had failed a pair of drug tests.
Needless to say, 'The Beast Incarnate' was not too pleased with McGregor's jibes. In an interview with journalist Sam Roberts ahead of SummerSlam 2016, Lesnar fired back by saying:
"If Conor McGregor wants to say some s*** to me and get his name out there more than he already has, by dropping my name, I got about 10 f***ing words for him. Come here face-to-face Conor and say it to my face. Otherwise leave me and the f***ing WWE out of it because I came to your arena and kicked ass. Now if you want and you're so f***ing tough, come to our arena and try to kick some a**."
#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor
Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov is a classic UFC rivalry. The bad-blood feud began when the Irishman and a bunch of his crew invaded a UFC 223 media event to send a message to his rival.
Mayhem ensued when McGregor hurled a steel dolly through the window of a bus that was carrying Nurmagomedov and several other UFC fighters. The stunt landed McGregor a date in court and also kickstarted one of the most intense rivalries in the history of the promotion.
Nurmagomedov was understandably livid. In response to the attack, the Dagestani fighter blurted out one of the most iconic quotes in combat sports:
"Send me location."
Come fight night, a seething Nurmagomedov mercilessly went after his rival from the opening bell. It quickly became apparent that McGregor was outmatched and angering the champ certainly did him no favors.
