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Conor McGregor was recently referenced in a tweet by highly-regarded tennis star Peyton Stearns. Ahead of her upcoming encounter with Aryna Sabalenka in the Round of 16 of the Mutua Madrid Open later this evening, she took a page from the Irishman's book.
Specifically, she referenced a now legendary callout from 'The Notorious' during his featherweight days, when he was on a collision course with the division's then UFC champion, José Aldo.
"Tell José I'm coming #McGregor"
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McGregor defeated Aldo with a 13-second knockout at UFC 194 on Dec. 12, 2015 to capture the featherweight title. It remains the fastest finish in UFC title fight history, and helped catapult an already uber-popular McGregor into stardom, with an entire mythos built around his left hand.
Stearns will look to overcome Sabalenka in similarly dominant fashion in their tennis match. Unfortunately, McGregor's glory days have long since passed. The Irishman rose to the peak of combat sports superstardom, capturing both featherweight and lightweight gold in the UFC.
Thereafter, he faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a historic boxing match, which earned him a career-high purse but also led to him suffering a 10th-round TKO loss. Afterward, he found himself on a concerning decline, going 1-3 in his next four fights upon returning to MMA.
The defeats were a fourth-round submission loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, a second-round TKO loss to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257, and a first-round TKO due to a doctor stoppage at UFC 264, also at 'The Diamond's' hands. He hasn't fought since, and seem all but informally retired.
Conor McGregor has been emulated by athletes before
One of Conor McGregor's most well-known acts is his 'Billi Strut,' which he performs when entering the octagon. It was borrowed from former WWE chairman Vince McMahon, but the Irishman popularized it. It was later used by legendary football/soccer center-back Sergio Ramos during his Real Madrid days.
Check out Sergio Ramos copying Conor McGregor's 'Billi Strut':
McGregor has a relationship with several athletes from other sports, including a friendship with another Real Madrid legend in Cristiano Ronaldo, alongside whom he watched Anthony Joshua defeat Robert Helenius via seventh-round knockout back in 2023.
