Conor McGregor
The first simultaneous two-weight UFC champion and biggest PPV draw in MMA history.
Conor Anthony McGregor (born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight and Lightweight Champion, becoming the first fighter to hold UFC championships in two weight classes simultaneously. He is also a former simultaneous Cage Warriors Fighting Championship (CWFC) Featherweight and Lightweight Champion.
Quick Facts
- Nationality
- Irish
- Sport
- Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)
- Nickname
- The Notorious
- Team
- Straight Blast Gym Ireland
- Organization
- Ultimate Fighting Championship
- Major achievement
- First Two-Division UFC Champion
- Status
- Active
Lore & Background
McGregor began competing professionally in MMA in 2008. He won the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight Championships in 2012 before signing with the UFC in 2013. After five consecutive wins, he won the Interim Featherweight Championship by defeating Chad Mendes at UFC 189. He became the undisputed Featherweight Champion at UFC 194 after knocking out José Aldo in 13 seconds, the fastest finish in UFC title fight history. In 2016, he won the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205 by defeating Eddie Alvarez. He transitioned briefly to professional boxing, facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a highly publicised bout, which he lost via TKO in the 10th round. He returned to MMA and challenged for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 229, losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission. McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in MMA history, having headlined the five highest-selling UFC PPV events. His fight against Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 drew 2.4 million PPV buys, the most ever for an MMA event. His 2017 boxing match against Mayweather generated over 5.3 million buys across the United States and the United Kingdom, making it the second highest-selling pay-per-view event in history. McGregor was ranked as the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2021, earning a reported $180 million. He also appeared on the list in 2018, ranking fourth with earnings of $99 million. Outside of fighting, McGregor has pursued business ventures, including in the alcoholic beverage industry, and is a co-owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC), a bare-knuckle boxing promotion. McGregor has been involved in multiple legal issues, including civil and criminal cases. He has faced charges for assault, disorderly conduct, driving offences and rape. His comments on the 2023 Dublin riots and immigration policy in Ireland have also caused controversy. In November 2024, an Irish High Court ruled in a civil case that he had assaulted and raped a woman in 2018, ordering him to pay over in damages. In December 2024, he was ordered to pay the victim's legal costs, amounting to approximately . In July 2025, he lost an appeal on the verdict. Following the 2024 civil court ruling, McGregor lost several sponsorship and partnership deals.
Reader's Guide
McGregor was born in Dublin, Ireland, to parents Tony and Margaret McGregor. He was raised in Crumlin and attended Irish-language schools. In his youth, he played football for Lourdes Celtic Football Club. At age 12, he began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club. At 13, his family moved to Lucan, where he attended Gaelcholáiste Coláiste Cois Life. He commenced a plumbing apprenticeship for a year but found it difficult and uninteresting. In Lucan, he met future UFC fighter Tom Egan and they started training MMA together. Among his inspirations were Naseem Hamed, Muhammad Ali and Bruce Lee. On 17 February 2007, at age 18, he made his amateur MMA debut against Kieran Campbell, winning via TKO in the first round. He turned professional and was signed by the Irish Cage of Truth promotion. In 2008, he began training at Straight Blast Gym (SBG) under John Kavanagh. His first professional MMA bout was on 9 March 2008, defeating Gary Morris via second-round TKO. After a win over Mo Taylor, he made his featherweight debut in a loss via kneebar to Artemij Sitenkov. He then won against Stephen Bailey, and after contemplating a different career path, his mother contacted coach John Kavanagh, reinvigorating him. He won his next fight against Connor Dillon, then lost to Joseph Duffy via submission. During 2011 and 2012, he went on an eight-fight winning streak, winning both CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships. In February 2013, UFC president Dana White offered him a contract. He made his UFC debut on 6 April 2013 against Marcus Brimage, winning by knockout and earning 'Knockout of the Night'. He next faced Max Holloway at UFC Fight Night 26, winning by unanimous decision, but tore his ACL during the bout. After recovery, he faced Diego Brandão on 19 July 2014 at UFC Fight Night 46, winning by TKO and earning 'Performance of the Night'. He then faced Dustin Poirier on 27 September 2014 at UFC 178, winning by TKO in the first round, earning another 'Performance of the Night'. He faced Dennis Siver on 18 January 2015 at UFC Fight Night 59, winning by TKO in the second round, earning a third straight 'Performance of the Night'.
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