By Josh Veshia
Staff Writer
In only two years of fighting in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), Conor McGregor has become a star and looks poised to become one of the biggest names in the history of mixed martial arts. Several new, young fighters have arrived and have given hope to fans that they would become big names in the sport. But none of them possess the qualities McGregor has shown to have in his brief stay in the limelight; a stay that most certainly has been extended and for good reason.
Power, speed, footwork, variety of skill – these are all essential characteristics for a good mixed martial arts fighter. Throw in the most unique sense of showmanship the sport has ever seen; now you’ve got yourself a star.
The UFC displays the best fighters in the world in a wide range of weight classes. The company has grown so large and popular that they also produce video games and have added a female portion of fighters that have proven to be very successful as far as drawing an audience. As a fighter, making it to the UFC is proof that you’ve reached a certain level of excellence.
The sport of mixed martial arts is a combination of several fighting forms such as wrestling, jiu jitsu, karate, boxing, kickboxing and many others. Although some fighters enter the sport more dominate in one specific area, crafting your skills in all aspects has shown to be a necessary step for those looking to become champions and even beyond that, legends.
Conor McGregor was a successful boxer in his homeland of Ireland before deciding to enter the world of mixed martial arts. His striking skills are not to be questioned as 15 of his 17 professional victories have come by way of knockout and 12 of his victories have come in the very first round.
These are all tremendous statistics that add to the aura that is a fantastic professional fighter. But that’s not even what makes McGregor so popular and beloved.
After a second round knockout of Dennis Siver – a UFC veteran with 22 professional victories – on January 18th, McGregor answered his first question from the traditional Joe Rogan post-fight public interview by saying “I promised you a knockout in the first two minutes, I really meant the first two rounds.” Following a loud roar of laughter from a sold out TD Garden arena in Boston, Massachusetts, it was clear what made this man so special to those who tune-in.
Promising first round knockouts was nothing new for the Irish fight star. He had done so several times in previous fights, referring to such in all of those post-fight interviews. During interviews in sit-down settings, McGregor steals the show, never failing to create a boom of laughter from those asking the questions and even sometimes those he is to fight.
McGregor’s persona is infectious and his popularity in only two years of work in the UFC shows this clear. His unique spread stance makes him tough to get to and it also resembles a current legend in Anderson Silva.
Silva is often recognized as the greatest fighter of all time, owning the records for most consecutive wins in the UFC as well as most title defense victories. As the UFC name began growing in the mid-2000s, Silva’s name became a staple and those who know little to nothing about the sport knew who Anderson Silva was.
At 39 years of age, Silva is showing signs of slowing down after finally losing his middleweight title to newcomer Chris Weidman in 2013 and then losing again to Weidman a few months later. A gruesome leg injury in the second loss left fans wondering if a marvelous career was coming to an end. Silva is to return later this month and headline a card against veteran Nick Diaz.
His time off to recover was the essential gap McGregor needed in his rise to fame. The window of opportunity was there and McGregor certainly took advantage.
A separate comparison with Silva exists that also reminds people of McGregor’s special presence and it pertains to ethnicity. Silva represents a long-line of fantastic Brazilian mixed martial arts fighters that have dominated the sport for so long. Conor McGregor is only the second fighter out of Ireland to fight in the UFC.
So much of what McGregor is about has to do with his uniqueness. In a world where the next new thing is all that seems to matter, he has landed the role. With his abilities both in the cage and behind a microphone, the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts has found something they need to continue to grow. A title fight later this year will without a doubt be one of the most anticipated events in UFC history and that might only be the beginning for The Notorious Conor McGregor.