11 Things You Didn’t Know About Conor McGregor.

Conor Anthony McGregor, born 14 July 1988 is an Irish professional mixed martial artist and boxer. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight and lightweight champion. As of June 2 2020, he is 8^th in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings, 4th in the UFC lightweight rankings and 15^th in the UFC welterweight rankings.  The decorated mixed martial artist has transcended the sport, becoming an icon around the world. He has earned thousands of fans thanks to his trash talk, bravado, and undeniable fighting ability. Despite the majority of his life spent competing in MMA, he is set to take on the biggest boxing star in history alongside the likes of Floyd Mayweather.

Here are 11 things  you may not have known about him. 

1. His Background and Journey to Becoming a Star.

Conor Anthony McGregor was born in Crumlin, Dublin on 14 July 1988, the son of Tony and Margaret McGregor. He was raised in Crumlin and attended a Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste at both primary and at secondary level in Coláiste de hÍde in Tallaght, where he also developed his passion for sport, playing association football. In his youth, he played football for Lourdes Celtic Football Club. At the age of 12, McGregor also began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club. In 2006, McGregor moved with his family to Lucan, Dublin, attending Gaelcholáiste Coláiste Cois Life. Following that, he commenced a plumbing apprenticeship. While in Lucan, he met future UFC fighter Tom Egan and they soon started training mixed martial arts (MMA) together

2. He Is Loyal To His Team.

Given the fact that he has won tens of millions of dollars, one might expect him to be surrounded by people hoping to share his wealth and spotlight. However, McGregor has stayed with the same group of friends and trainers since before he was a star. He keeps grounded by being loyal to those who cared about him before he was famous. Perhaps most importantly, McGregor has spoken about his loyalty to his coach, John Kavanagh. The two have worked together since McGregor’s pro debut.

3.  He Was Bullied As A Child.

It may be shocking for fans to learn that McGregor was often picked on when he was young. Long before becoming the most devastating knockout artist in the UFC, McGregor was often bullied. He was a small child and attracted a great deal of attention from bullies. Luckily for his fans, it was bullying which drove McGregor to learn how to defend himself. He started taking up martial arts and boxing, and has never looked back. At the face of adversity humans can find meaning in life and thrive. 

4. He Fights Through Injuries.

Everyone knows that being a professional fighter takes a great deal of toughness. However, while every person who steps into the cage deserves respect for their courage, some are made tougher than others. In addition to his power, McGregor has incredible fortitude. When fighting current UFC Featherweight Champion Max Holloway, McGregor tore his ACL. Not only did he continue to fight, he won a unanimous decision by out-grappling his opponent.

5.  He Has Drawn Comparisons To Muhammad Ali.

While Mayweather might disagree, most people feel that McGregor is the biggest name in combat sports today. As such, it is no surprise that he has been compared to icons from the past such as Muhammad Ali. The two athletes do share quite a few characteristics. They both used trash talk to get inside their opponents’ heads, they both were able to predict the round in which they would finish their opponents, and they both rose above sports and became cultural icons. McGregor understands that Ali represents ideals that he does not, and he has stated that he feels honored just to be mentioned alongside such a great figure.

6.  He Supports Gay Rights. 

Given his unprecedented popularity, one might assume that McGregor would shy away from taking stances on controversial topics like gay marriage. However, he is not the type of person to stay silent when he believes something must be done. In fact, McGregor became one of the most famous Irish celebrities to be vocal in support of gay marriage. He said that at the end of the day, it comes down to the fact that we are all human and deserve respect.

7. He Won A Fight In 4 Seconds.

Winning fights by knockout in the first round has become a career-defining trend for McGregor. However, some of his knockouts have been almost too fast to believe. Anyone who looked away while watching McGregor’s fight against Patrick Doherty in 2011 likely missed all the action. It took him only 4 seconds to land two devastating punches and knock his opponent out.

8. He Was A Plumber. 

Casual fans might think that McGregor is nothing but a brash and arrogant athlete. Those who have followed his career more closely, however, understand that he uses trash talk to promote fights. He is actually a down-to-earth person who appreciates everything he has because he came from humble beginnings. Long before reaching the pinnacle of MMA, McGregor was working as a plumber apprentice. He quickly realized that his passion for fighting was too strong to ignore and gave up the trade.

9. He Is In A Committed Relationship.

Conor’s commitment to his teammates and coach have earned him a great deal of respect from the martial arts community. However, what is arguably more important is his devotion to Dee Devlin, his long-time girlfriend. The two have been together since 2008 and their relationship has stayed strong despite McGregor’s worldwide fame. Conor McGregor’s girlfriend, Dee Devlin even quit her job to help him manage the new business of being a fighter. Conor McGregor has been dating his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, for nearly 12 years. They had their first child together in 2017. They named him Conor Jack McGregor Jr. 

10. Nearly Perfect

In his entire professional career, Conor McGregor only lost 3 fights. His record is 21 to 3.

11. Massive Gorilla Tattoo. 

When he first began his fighting career, Conor McGregor didn’t have any tattoos. As time went on, he got more and more. The most noticeable is the massive gorilla tattoo on his chest. He said that the worst pain he ever experienced in his life was when he got the gorilla tattoo.

Just one more…..

His Sister Is A Body Builder Too.

Conor isn’t the only McGregor whose athletic prowess makes the rest of us look in the mirror in shame. The oldest of the McGregor siblings is Conor’s sister, Erin, who is a competitive (and successful) bodybuilder. Inspired by her brother’s charismatic conquest of the UFC, Erin decided to challenge herself and began competing as a bodybuilder. “I was totally naive going into the bodybuilding scene. There is a huge amount of sacrifice. Now I truly understand how hard Conor works,” She said. Erin’s built an impressive resume of her own working as a fitness model and even competing on Season 26 of Dancing with the Stars.