Conor McGregor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conor McGregor
McGregor in 2018
Born	Conor Anthony McGregor (1988-07-14) 14 July 1988 (age 36) Dublin, Ireland
Nickname(s)	Notorious
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Division	Featherweight (2008–2015) Lightweight (2008–2012, 2016–2018, 2021–present) Welterweight (2016, 2020)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
Team	SBG Ireland
Trainer	John Kavanagh (head coach) Owen Roddy, Raj Vrînceanu (Boxing) Sergey Pikulskiy (Wrestling) John Connor (S&C) George Lockhart (Nutrition)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under John Kavanagh
Years active	2008–present
Professional boxing record
Total	1
Losses	1
By knockout	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	28
Wins	22
By knockout	19
By submission	1
By decision	2
Losses	6
By knockout	2
By submission	4
Amateur record
Total	1
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	0

Conor Anthony McGregor (Irish: Conchúr Antóin Mac Gréagóir; born 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist, professional boxer, businessman, and actor. He is a former Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. He is also a former simultaneous Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Champion.

McGregor is credited with popularizing mixed martial arts and the UFC around the globe. He was ranked as the world's highest-paid athlete by Forbes in 2021, earning a reported $180 million.

Early life

Conor Anthony McGregor was born in Dublin, Ireland. He was raised in Crumlin and attended Irish-language schools — the Gaelscoil Scoil Mológa, in Harold's Cross, at primary level, and Gaelcholáiste Coláiste de hÍde in Tallaght at secondary level, where he also developed his passion for sport, playing football.

In his youth, he played football for Lourdes Celtic Football 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.

Amateur mixed martial arts career

On 17 February 2007, at the age of 18, McGregor made his mixed martial arts debut in an amateur fight against Kieran Campbell for the Irish Ring of Truth promotion in Dublin. He won via technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. Following the fight, he turned professional and was signed by the Irish Cage of Truth promotion. In 2008, McGregor began training at the Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin under John Kavanagh.

Professional mixed martial arts career

On 9 March 2008, McGregor had his first professional MMA bout, as a lightweight, against Gary Morris. He defeated Morris with a second-round TKO. During 2011 and 2012, McGregor went on an eight-fight winning streak, during which he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships, making him the first European professional mixed martial artist to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously.

In February 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that they had signed McGregor to a multi-fight contract. In joining, he became only the second fighter from Ireland to compete for the company, following team member Tom Egan.

On 6 April 2013, McGregor made his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. He won the fight by knockout in round one. The win also earned McGregor his first "Knockout of the Night" award.

McGregor (right), Dana White (middle) and José Aldo (left) in London as part of the World Tour promoting UFC 189 in March 2015

Interim Featherweight Championship bout

The highly anticipated bout with Aldo was announced on 30 January 2015, at the UFC 183 Q&A. McGregor declared that he was expected to face Aldo on 11 July 2015 at UFC 189 for the undisputed UFC Featherweight Championship, during the UFC's annual International Fight Week. The fight took place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. McGregor won the fight via TKO, winning the UFC Interim Featherweight Championship.

First UFC loss

McGregor in 2016

McGregor faced Nate Diaz on 5 March 2016 at UFC 196 in a welterweight bout.

The fight began with combination in the first round, Diaz returned fire with two consecutive hooks. McGregor had success with his bodywork, but Diaz began to land combinations of his own. After a one-two punches from Diaz, McGregor attempted a double leg takedown, which Diaz defended by sprawling. Diaz then threatened the guillotine choke, which forced McGregor onto his back after stopping McGregor from scrambling and Diaz secured the mount and secured a rear naked choke. McGregor tapped to the submission at 4:12 into the second round. Both competitors were awarded "Fight of the Night" bonuses, and McGregor received the highest disclosed purse of any fighter in the history of the company to that point, at $1,000,000. McGregor was critical of his own performance while praising Diaz, saying "I was inefficient with my energy. It was a battle of energy and he got the better of that."

Rematch with Nate Diaz

A rematch with Diaz was scheduled for 9 July at UFC 200; however, on 19 April, the UFC announced that McGregor had been pulled from the event after failing to fulfil media obligations related to the fight. In turn, the fight with McGregor was rescheduled and took place the following month, contested again at welterweight, at UFC 202. McGregor won the rematch via majority decision (48–47, 47–47, and 48–47). The bout was once again awarded "Fight of the Night" honours. The event broke the record previously held by UFC 100 for the highest selling pay-per-view in UFC history, with 1,650,000 buys.

Two–division champion

On 27 September 2016, it was officially announced that McGregor's next bout would be against Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship on 12 November at UFC 205. After dropping Alvarez multiple times throughout the first round, McGregor landed a multiple-punch combination to stop his opponent via technical knockout in the second round. This result marked the first time a competitor had held UFC championships in two different weight classes, and also repeated McGregor's feat during his career at Cage Warriors. This win earned him the "Performance of the Night", and it is widely considered one of McGregor's best performances inside the octagon.

2017 – present

After winning the lightweight championship at UFC 205, McGregor announced he would take time off from the UFC to wait for the birth of his first child due in 2017.

On 3 August, it was announced that McGregor would return to the octagon for the first time since November 2016 at UFC 229 to challenge the undefeated Khabib Nurmagomedov for the UFC Lightweight Championship on 6 October. This bout was considered one of the biggest contests in the history of the sport and it was filled with pre-fight hype. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor with a neck crank in the fourth round.

McGregor faced Donald Cerrone in a welterweight bout on 18 January 2020 at UFC 246. He won the fight via technical knockout 40 seconds into the first round. This win earned him a Performance of the Night award. The win made McGregor the first UFC fighter to hold knockout finishes in the featherweight, lightweight, and welterweight divisions.

McGregor was booked to face former UFC Lightweight Championship challenger Dustin Poirier in a rematch of their 2014 bout at UFC 257 on 24 January 2021. He lost the fight via technical knockout in the second round, marking the first knockout loss in his career.

McGregor faced Dustin Poirier for a third time on 10 July 2021 at UFC 264. McGregor lost the fight via technical knockout in round one after the ringside doctor stopped the bout. McGregor had rolled his ankle while stepping back, resulting in a broken lower tibia which rendered him unable to continue.

After the layoff nursing his leg injury, McGregor coached The Ultimate Fighter 31 for the second time with the opposing coach being Michael Chandler. Filming of the show started in February 2023 and aired on television from May to August 2023. The show led to McGregor being scheduled to fight in a welterweight bout against Chandler at UFC 303 on June 29, 2024. Following speculation on the fight's status due to an abruptly canceled press conference, the UFC officially announced the fight's cancellation on June 13th, 2024, citing an injury (broken toe) sustained by McGregor.

Mixed martial arts fighting style

McGregor is known mostly as a counter-striker and prefers to fight standing up, as opposed to on the ground. He is known for his striking precision and knockout power. McGregor is left-handed and primarily fights out of the southpaw stance, but often switches to an orthodox stance. He will frequently try to be the aggressor in his bouts. McGregor's boxing is typically considered his best skill, with the majority of his victories coming by way of knockout or technical knockout via punches. Many pundits cite McGregor's pull-back left-handed counter as his most dangerous strike.

Political endeavours

It was reported in December 2023 that McGregor was considering running for the office of President of Ireland, to which Elon Musk posted on X "Not a bad idea." A poll that month found that 8 percent of people polled would vote for McGregor for office, while 89 percent said they would not.

Acting

In 2022, McGregor was cast along with the actor Jake Gyllenhaal in a remake of the 1989 film Road House.

Personal life

McGregor has two sisters named Erin and Aoife. He has been in a relationship with his fiancée, Dee Devlin, since 2008. They have four children.

McGregor often trains at the Mjölnir gym in Reykjavík, alongside fellow UFC fighter Gunnar Nelson. He has stated that he does not adhere to any pre-fight rituals or superstitions because he believes them to be "a form of fear".

McGregor is a Catholic.

Interesting facts about Conor McGregor

• McGregor began boxing at the age of 12 as a way to defend himself against bullies and raise his confidence.
• Among his inspirations growing up were Naseem Hamed, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee.
• McGregor is a football fan and a supporter of both Celtic and Manchester United.
• McGregor became the first UFC fighter to hold UFC championships in two weight classes (Featherweight and Lightweight) simultaneously.
• The majority of his victories in mixed martial arts have come by way of knockout or technical knockout via punches.
• McGregor is the biggest pay-per-view (PPV) draw in mixed martial arts (MMA) history, having headlined the five highest-selling UFC PPV events.
• His bout with Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 drew 2.4 million PPV buys, the most ever for an MMA event.

Conor McGregor quotes

• "There's only one thing that's impossible to beat... a man that doesn't give up."
• "Excellence is not a skill, excellence is an attitude."
• "Nothing good ever comes from worrying or sitting there feeling sorry for yourself... Keep positive and keep pushing on and things will turn good."
• "If you have a clear picture in your head of something that's going to happen... then nothing can stop it."
• "Look out for those who look out for you. Loyalty is everything."

Championships and accomplishments

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Interim UFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • UFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Nate Diaz (x2)
  • Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Marcus Brimage
    • Greatest Knockout in UFC's first 25 Years vs. José Aldo
  • Performance of the Night (Seven times) vs. Diego Brandão, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver, Chad Mendes, José Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and Donald Cerrone
    • Tied (Donald Cerrone, Ovince Saint Preux & Kevin Holland) for third most Performance of the Night awards in UFC history (7)
    • Most consecutive Performance of the Night awards in UFC history (5)
    • Most consecutive post-fight bonuses in UFC history (8)
  • First Irish-born UFC champion
  • Third Multi-Divisional Champion in UFC History (Featherweight, Lightweight)
  • First simultaneous multi-divisional champion in UFC history (Featherweight, Lightweight)
  • Fastest win in a UFC Championship fight (13 seconds) vs. José Aldo
  • Fastest finish in a UFC Championship fight (13 seconds) vs. José Aldo
  • Most knockdowns-per-fifteen minutes in UFC Featherweight division history (2.31)
  • Tied (Cub Swanson & Chad Mendes) for second most knockouts in UFC Featherweight division history (6)
  • One of two fighters (Jared Cannonier) to have knockout victories in three different weight classes
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
  • CWFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • CWFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
• Bleacher Report
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 202
• ESPN
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• ESPYs
  • 2016 Best Fighter
• Fight Matrix
  • Lineal Featherweight Championship (one time)
• Fox Sports
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 202
• MMA Fighting
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 189
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 March Fight of the Month vs. Nate Diaz
  • 2016 August Fight of the Month vs. Nate Diaz
• MMA Insider
  • 2013 Best UFC Newcomer
• MMA Mania
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 189
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• RTÉ Sport
  • 2016 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year
• Severe MMA
  • 2014 Irish Pro Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Irish Pro Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• Sherdog
  • 2014 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 194
  • 2015 Knockout of the Year vs. José Aldo
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• The MMA Community
  • 2015 Male Fighter of the Year
• Time
  • 2017 Top 100 Most Influential People inclusion
• VIP Style Awards
  • 2015 Ireland's Most Stylish Man
• World MMA Awards
  • 2014 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 Best Box Office Draw
  • 2015, 2016 and 2017 Best on Interviews
  • 2015 Feud of the Year vs. José Aldo
  • 2016 Feud of the Year vs. Nate Diaz
  • 2016 and 2018 Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable
  • 2016 Most Charismatic
  • 2015 and 2016 Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year

Pay-per-view bouts

Mixed martial arts

Boxing

Filmography

Film

Television

Video games

Mixed martial arts record

Amateur mixed martial arts record

Professional boxing record

Exhibition boxing record

See also

In Spanish: Conor McGregor para niños

• Khabib Nurmagomedov
• List of current UFC fighters
• List of Irish UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists
• Ultimate Fighting Championship rankings