SUMMARY
- Conor McGregor has several tattoos on his body.
- Previously, in an interview, McGregor revealed that he doesn't care about the meaning behind his tattoos.
UFC has been blessed with many big-name fighters over the years. But it’s hard to name someone bigger than Conor McGregor. ‘The Notorious’ is the face of mixed martial arts and the UFC and undoubtedly one of the greatest fighters in the sport. Apart from his obvious dominance inside the octagon, McGregor was much more than just a fighter in the UFC.
His way of preparing for the fight exceeds his body conditioning and training on the mat. It was the way he carried himself into the fight that made him so special. If one is up against McGregor, one would know the mind games start way before the fight. Rather than just being a fighter, he was a true performer who raked in millions to watch him fight every time he stepped in the cage.
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Apart from his spectacular antics on and off the UFC mat, tattoos are also a big part of McGregor’s life. They express the kind of person that Conor is, whether it be the tiger on his abdomen, the silverback gorilla on his chest, or the thorned helix sprawling down his back. While some of them carry a cryptic message, others do not. Conor has been vocal about his tattoo preferences in the past.
The Notorious has previously said, “I just like the way it looks on my body… “I don’t spend months picking it, I just see it, get it, and just enjoy the experience of being inked on my body for the rest of my life. I don’t know what it is.” While his tattoos might not carry a lot of meaning to him, it sure does to those who look up to him. Let’s take a look at some fighters who have seemingly copied Conor’s tattoos.
Did Ilia Topuria copy Conor McGregor’s Back Tattoo?
Conor McGregor has a tattoo of a winged crucifix on his back that trails into a thorny helix. The helix runs the full length of his vertebral column, ending at the base of his backbone. Even though he hasn’t ever opened up about the tattoo on camera, the look of the tattoo certainly suits McGregor. But there is another fighter who has a similar tattoo to that of The Notorious One.
And that fighter is none other than Ilia ‘El Matador’ Topuria. Fans have even claimed that the Spaniard’s tattoo is a copy of Conor’s, with many likening the two fighters’ personalities as well. Topuria recently snatched Alexander Volkanovski’s belt in their press conference ahead of their showdown at UFC 298, emulating McGregor’s actions from yesteryear.
bro even copied the back tattoo pic.twitter.com/Z2QLEiLBwk
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) February 16, 2024
This has sparked conversations about how El Matador is trying to be like Conor McGregor. The winged crucifix and the helix that sprouts from it on Topuria’s back certainly add to the storyline. Netizens were quick to point out the similarities between the two tattoos. Some claimed Topuria was just being “Another McGregor Wannabe,” with others saying next up Ilia will get a stomach Tiger tattoo.
Askar Mozharov shares an eerily similar tattoo with Conor McGregor
Askar Mozharov, a Ukrainian fighter who made his debut in the UFC in June 2022, is another fighter who was accused of copying Conor McGregor’s tattoo. This time, it was the iconic Conor McGregor’s gorilla devouring a heart chest’ tattoo. Mozharov’s chest tattoo is also of a gorilla, which is very similar to that of the Notorious one.
McGregor talked about this tattoo, stating that it was a tribute to his gym, Straight Blast Gym (SBG). He said in an interview, “My gym’s logo is a Gorilla. It’s not that particular gorilla. But it’s a gorilla. So I wanted to get something along with that line. I feel like I am the king Gorilla so I took the crown, and I had him eat a heart. It felt right.”
Askar Mozharov has since denied any copying allegations. “No, this is not Conor McGregor’s [tattoo]. Guys, this is the same style, old school, but another picture,” Mozharov said to the Irish Mirror. “Actually, in my country, people know me as the Ukrainian Conor McGregor. But this is different; I like Conor, but I am Askar,” Mozharov concluded.
Michael Chiesa’s tiger tattoo has striking similarities with Conor’s tattoo
The UFC veteran welterweight Michael Chiesa has had a fulfilling decade-long career. The American fighter is also known as ‘Maverick’ and has been a part of the UFC since 2013. The fighter’s body is adorned with several tattoos, one of which peculiarly looks like the infamous tiger tattoo that is inked on Conor’s abdomen.
Michael ‘Maverick’ Chiesa also has a tiger tattoo, which spans the right side of his abdomen while also covering a part of his ribcage. According to many, it looks as if Chiesa somewhat copied the tiger tattoo from the Irishman.
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Apart from the supposed tattoo rip-off, both fighters also have some history outside the octagon. Chiesa filed a lawsuit against McGregor after sustaining injuries in the bus attack incident before UFC 223. Michael was one of the fighters inside the bus that McGregor attacked. During the mayhem, he suffered a cut on his face, causing him to pull out of his upcoming fight.
Ian Garry sports a Conor McGregor-inspired tattoo on his body
Ian ‘The Future’ Garry has been often labeled as a Conor McGregor rip-off. And they do share some striking similarities. Most importantly, both are Irish and have a long list of controversies surrounding them outside the cage. It is no secret that “The Future” looks up to Conor McGregor and even has that tendency to knock people out inside the cage.
Now with a 13-0-0 record in MMA, Ian Garry is looking for his 7th UFC win. But not many people know the story behind the daisy tattoo on Ian’s right wrist. It was actually inspired by none other than the Notorious One. Conor McGregor lauded Ian on X (fka Twitter) after he got his debut UFC win with a first-round knockout in November 2021.
You little fuckin daisy Ian! The step back, back paw an all ahahahaja just absolutely incredible!
Congrats @iangarryMMA ☘️ ❤️— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 6, 2021
McGregor tweeted, “You little fuckin daisy Ian! The step back, back paw an all ahahahaja just absolutely incredible! Congrats @iangarryMMA”. Ian Garry took his idol’s congratulatory message and decided to turn it into a special memory by getting it inked on his body. And thus was born his daisy tattoo. Ian Garry spoke about the tattoo in an interview with TNT Sports on YouTube.
While these were four UFC fighters who have been accused of copying the tattoos of Conor McGregor, the list doesn’t end there. There have been other influencers and fighters who have faced similar accusations.
Jake Paul copies font and tattoo placement to mock Conor McGregor
Jake Paul has imitated Conor McGregor in the past. May it be him standing in McGregor’s iconic poses during face-offs or doing the McGregor-like roar during weigh-ins. But Jake has gone a step even further than this in imitating, or, as some fans think, mocking, the UFC double-champion.
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Jake Paul has a tattoo that says “PAUL” on his lower abdomen. While that in itself isn’t suspicious, the font and the placement sure are. The tattoo is a very close imitation of McGregor’s tattoos on his top and bottom abdomen, which spell out ‘MCGREGOR’ and ‘NOTORIOUS’, respectively. In fact, it is in the same font and in the exact same place as McGregor’s.
An upcoming Irish fighter drawing comparisons with Conor has a McGregor-like tattoo
James ‘The Strabanimal’ Gallagher is an up-and-coming 24-year-old MMA fighter who plies his trade in the UFC. He often gets compared with his Straight Blast Gym teammate, Conor McGregor. And for good reason, as he already is 12-2-0 in his professional MMA career, and doesn’t look like he’ll be stopping soon.
The 35-year-old praised his compatriot on X when he won his MMA comeback after a 21-month layoff. Conor tweeted, “Irish legend, Jimmy Gallagher! 💯🇮🇪”. Apart from the similarities between the two related to the sport, they also have a strikingly similar tattoo.
Irish legend, Jimmy Gallagher! 💯🇮🇪 https://t.co/5lfJZ3o1Ur
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) August 12, 2023
The Strabanimal has a tattoo of a lion roaring on his chest, which is quite reminiscent of the wildlife tattoos Conor has on his torso. It’s almost as if Gallagher took inspiration from McGregor when he decided to get himself inked.