Happy Gilmore legend says Conor McGregor gives him 'Shooter McGavin vibes'

Christopher McDonald says Conor McGregor gives him Shooter McGavin vibes. The legendary actor, who played the character Shooter McGavin in the 1996 sports-comedy movie Happy Gilmore, believes that Conor McGregor's personality comes closest to that of the manipulative antagonist.

McDonald shared his thoughts during a recent interview with SportsNation when he was asked to name a person who could take over the role from him.

"(Conor) McGregor. He's the trash talker and he backs it up too which is pretty good," Christopher McDonald told SportsNation

25 years after the release of Happy Gilmore, Christopher McDonald says Conor McGregor is today’s Shooter McGavin 🤣 pic.twitter.com/5OmofUHd8d

— SportsNation (@SportsNation) February 16, 2021

Shooter McGavin's character is an arrogant golf player who takes pride in earning loads of money and plays all sorts of dirty tactics to reduce his opponent's chances of success. He is a brash talker who does show respect towards his rivals.

Conor McGregor's mastery in playing mind games is one of the reasons his opponents are mentally defeated before the fight even starts. Like McGavin, the former two-division UFC champion does not shy away from flaunting his monetary gains.

Christopher McDonald's comparison between Conor McGregor and Shooter McGavin is based on these outer traits but the comparison pretty much ends there. Unlike McGavin, who lacks humility and honesty, Conor McGregor's brash personality is part of the strategy employed to achieve success in fights and glimpses of the Irishman's humble self have been on display throughout his career. Following a 13-second knockout win over rival Jose Aldo after months of trash-talking and insults, McGregor buried the hatchet and paid his respects to the former champion immediately after the fight.

"I feel for Jose (Aldo). He was a phenomenal champion. We deserved to go a little bit longer...," Conor McGregor said to Joe Rogan.

Conor McGregor may no longer fill in Shooter McGavin's shoes

Conor McGregor's bold, trash-talking personality has won him fans all over the globe but the Irishman has distanced himself from mental warfare in recent times. Much to the surprise of the MMA community, McGregor approached the build-up to his fight against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone and the rematch against Dustin Poirier in a never-seen-before humble and respectful manner.

This nicer version of Conor McGregor has been appreciated by fight fans to a great extent. Some believe that the change in McGregor's personality is down to him maturing in fatherhood, while others have attributed his loss against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257 to the change.

Conor McGregor recently took to Instagram to hint at the return of a vintage brash version of himself in his next fight.