He is one of the most popular and controversial fighters in MMA history; the double champion from Dublin, he is the highest-paid athlete of the year, fought Floyd Mayweather, whiskey mogul & millionaire, but there is much more to Conor McGregor than just his MMA career.
McGregor will be fighting this weekend at UFC 264 in his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier. McGregor is looking to avenge his loss from earlier this year. And before these two get to their main event showdown, we list five Conor McGregor facts that you may not have known before. And if you did know these before, we dig a little deeper to find the proper details.
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5 Conor McGregor Facts You May Not Have Known
5. Conor McGregor Was Bullied as a Child
The initial reason Conor McGregor began combat sports at all was that he was bullied as a child. Often these bullies were older than him and would verbally and physically assault the young McGregor.
At that time Conor would simply run away, “I remember walking back from school and walking by a load of blokes,” McGregor said in an interview, “I was just a little kid with my school bag on me. They started saying something or whatever and I just turned around they came at me so I ran off.”
As a solution to this problem Conor began training in boxing, “I thought, ‘F*ck this, I am going to go and train.'” McGregor hit the gym and began his journey to superstardom.
4. McGregor Funded the Irish Amateur MMA Team at the IMMAF
Flights, accommodations, and registration for the 27 competitors, and 20 coaches, for the amateur Irish MMA squad, were all covered by “The Notorious” Conor McGregor. The 2021 competition is taking place in Bulgaria, and this is a year in which many organizations and gyms are struggling with funding.
“Wishing the Irish squad the very best of luck in their quest at the world championships this year!” McGregor said, “From the fighters to the coaches, I know the future of our fighting nation is in excellent hands! Fight with the pride of the emerald isle, team! We are all with you! Good luck!”
Ireland head coach Andy Ryan thanked McGregor, saying, “This gesture by Conor has come at a time when Irish MMA needed it most. Gyms were among the worst hit by the COVID pandemic and throughout 2020, thousands of young athletes were unable to train on the mats with their teammates and coaches…On behalf of the athletes, coaches, and all the gyms of IMMAF, I wish to extend a huge thanks to Conor for this incredible sponsorship.”
3. Believer in the Law of Attraction
Becoming the double champion and competing in boxing, McGregor saw these things became he lived them. Even often fight-ending combinations McGregor would visualize before successfully completing them. This has earned him the nickname “Mystic Mac.”
“If you can see it here and you have the courage enough to speak it, it will happen,” McGregor said. “I see these shots and sequences…If you truly believe in it, if you become vocal with it, you are creating that Law of Attraction, and it will become reality.” This is the most spiritual of the Conor McGregor facts.
“It is the Law of Attraction, and it is the most powerful thing in the world,” Conor McGregor continues, “It is the belief that you are able to create whatever situation that you want…I can’t tell you exactly what it is, but it f*cking works.”
McGregor spoke into existence him becoming a millionaire, “They’d [his family] ask me what I was going to do when I lose a fight. I told them by the time I’m 25 I’m going to be a self-made millionaire. My father laughed at me. I was a year late, but I did it.”
2. Plumbing Before Pugilism
Before he was a millionaire though, before he was the highest-paid athlete of 2020, before he was a double champion, Conor McGregor was a plumber. He began working as a plumbing apprentice and was in the program for 18 months. It did not take long for the young McGregor to realize that this lifestyle simply wasn’t for him.
“I hated every minute of it…I was getting ordered around,” he said, when he was looking back on his previous career, “Getting people their lunch, all this crap. I just thought, ‘This life isn’t for me, I’m going to pack it in. I’m going to chase my dreams’.”
McGregor dropped out of the program to pursue MMA fighting full-time. And he did it with the support of his now-wife Dee Devlin. “I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t for her. I’m doing all of this for her.”
1. Donated €1 Million Worth of PPE to Healthcare Workers in Ireland
In March of 2020 when the pandemic was ongoing McGregor stepped up as a proud Irishman to support those who needed it most. McGregor put in €1 million of his own money for personal protective equipment for the healthcare workers of Ireland. McGregor’s donation helped purchase approximately 50,000 items of PPE for the Irish healthcare worker.
“Where we would be without those brave men and women, I do not know,” Conor McGregor said “May God bless over them and keep them safe!”
McGregor has also been extremely outspoken in supporting the government guidelines when it comes to COVID-19 safety. “We have now entered a more substantial lockdown, and I am pleased to see it.” McGregor continues, “Now, more than ever, we must abide by this, and I pray for the health and safety of our country. The fate of our lives and the lives of our loved ones depends on it.” This is the most political of the Conor McGregor facts.
Those are five Conor McGregor facts, with details, to study ahead of his UFC 264 trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier. Two fascinating MMA fighters are meeting in the biggest fight of their respective careers. We’ll update you more with tidbits of both fighters soon, and keep you updated on their upcoming fight.
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