The sports of mixed martial arts has seen some legends throughout its history. However, none has had an impact as loud as Conor McGregor.
The Irish sensation came into the UFC and took the world of fighting by storm. The former cage warrior’s two-division champion went on an unbeaten and glorious run at the featherweight division to win the UFC title. Conor McGregor would then became the first UFC fighter to win titles at two-division by beating the lightweight champion, Eddie Alvarez.
The thing that separates McGregor from any other fighter in the history of UFC is his ability to hook the audience in the story he portrays through his journey. One of the most polarizing athletes in combat sports, McGregor has always been a PPV draw, the biggest UFC has ever seen. However, can he be called the greatest global superstar UFC has ever seen?
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There have been fighters such as George St Pierre, Anderson Silva, Ronda Rousey, Chuk Liddle who revolutionized the sports of MMA. However, how do you compare McGregor to these UFC elites?
Is Conor McGregor bigger than any other UFC fighter?
Well, as per UFC president, Dana White, Conor McGregor is indeed the biggest superstar UFC has ever seen. Dana White joined Eddie Hearn in his podcast, Talk the Talk, and looked back at some of the biggest names in UFC. White said:
“The way that it works in the UFC, these guys that become these big stars become partners. They become partners in the pay-per-view and selling the pay-per-view, and that’s how we all make money. … From the Chuck Liddell’s to the Anderson Silva’s to the Georges St-Pierre’s to the Jon Jones, Ronda Rousey. They all brought something different to the table. Whether it was Georges St-Pierre building the Canadian market for us. Whether it was Anderson Silva in Brazil. Ronda Rousey bringing in women that would never watch the UFC in a million years.”
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Dana White also explained what separates McGregor from the rest of the frontiers of UFC, what puts him in the league of his own. White continued:
“The difference between all of them and Conor McGregor, is Conor McGregor took us global. Everybody on Earth loved Conor McGregor and Conor McGregor opened up territories that had never been that interested in us before. Maybe we had a small fanbase there, but he blew the whole country up. He’s the first guy that truly was a global star.”
Well, after everything Conor has achieved in the sport and all the eyes he has brought to the sport, it will be hard to argue against White’s verdict.