Conor McGregor is one of the most popular fighters to come out of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The Irishman has plenty of personality as well as immense talent, which makes him a draw to all fans of Mixed Martial Arts (MMA).
But McGregor’s career has been anything but straightforward. The former champion has strayed into boxing as well as MMA. And that’s not to mention the heaps of controversy he gets into out of the octagon. It’s led many to wonder what the future has in store for 2021’s highest paid athlete.
Below, we’ll take a look at the career of McGregor in a bit more detail. We’ll explore some of his recent fights. Lastly, we’ll consider what his future may have in store.
The story behind Conor McGregor
McGregor hails from Crumlin, Dublin and joined the UFC back in 2013. The 33-year-old is a former featherweight and lightweight double champion and unified the featherweight division. That unification victory came after 13 seconds into his fight with long-time champion, Jose Aldo.
While still holding the featherweight title, McGregor stepped up a division and managed to claim the lightweight crown too. He was the first fighter to hold UFC championships in two different weight classes.
After that, McGregor seemed to lose interest in MMA. He’s never been one to shy away from the limelight outside the octagon as well as in it. More than once, his antics have cropped up in newspapers, like his three-day party in Liverpool.
His attention turned to boxing and, after long negotiations, he agreed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mayweather won comfortably, but the fight drew 4.3 million PPV buys, marking it as the second most watched combat sports match in history.
With his attentions elsewhere, McGregor was stripped of both his UFC titles. In 2019, he announced his retirement. It didn’t last long, however. He came back to fight again, which we’ll discuss in more detail below.
Betting on McGregor
McGregor is an elite fighter, one capable of knocking out opponents as well as forcing them into submission. He’s also tough; he’s only been defeated by knockout once.
This all makes him an appealing option for betting. Given his popularity, sportsbooks can offer deals and bonuses, as well as enhanced odds, for some of his fights. You can find these types of deals for online sports betting in Ontario, Quebec or Vancouver, so be sure to keep an eye out.
Conor McGregor’s recent fights
Despite McGregor announcing his retirement from UFC in 2019, he returned just a year later. This time, however, he opted to fight in the welterweight division. He fought Donald Cerrone and won via technical knockout after just 40 seconds.
The victory over Cerrone made McGregor the first UFC fighter to deal knockout finishes in the featherweight, lightweight and welterweight divisions.
Fans grew hopeful of McGregor’s return, but once again, he announced he was retiring.
That lasted until 2021 when he returned to face Dustin Poirier. The pair had fought once before back in 2014. This time round, though, McGregor lost via technical knockout. It was the first loss via knockout in his career.
A few months later, the pair fought a rematch, but McGregor lost via technical knockout again after the ringside doctor ruled him unable to continue — the Irishman had broken his tibia.
That was McGregor’s last fight. While nothing’s set in stone, UFC president Dana White has declared that McGregor will return, likely in Autumn 2022. His two most likely opponents — Dustin Poirier and Nate Diaz, two fighters that have beaten McGregor in the past.
What’s next for Conor McGregor?
Despite speculation of a return to the UFC later in 2022, the future is still uncertain for Conor McGregor. The man known as Notorious has become notoriously hard to predict, especially with his distractions off the canvas.
Judging by the words of insiders like Dana White, McGregor still feels like he has unfinished business. The way his last fight ended will have left a bitter taste in the Irishman’s mouth and the born winner will be keen to set the record straight.
McGregor still has time on his side too. At 33, he has years ahead of him. No doubt being stripped of his titles will rankle too. Plus, his fans would love nothing more than for him to commit to reclaiming them so once more he can sit upon his MMA throne.
