Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest-growing sport in the United States, and the UFC, or Ultimate Fighting Championship, is its pride and joy.Thanks almost exclusively to the star power of “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey and “The Notorious” Conor McGregor, MMA has emerged as the newest and baddest sport in the United States and the UFC as the fastest-growing league. While Rousey has contributed to the rise of the UFC just as much as McGregor, she’s another story for another time. McGregor is on top of the world and doesn’t appear to be stepping down anytime soon.
In a sport where you’re nobody if you can’t trash-talk throughout a fight, McGregor still stands out above the rest. He wants to get inside your head -- he isn’t afraid of anyone or anything. It’s both rare and satisfying to hear someone talk and back it up. But there’s one thing McGregor does that puts him exclusively in his own category: He can see the future. “Mystic Mac” will say that it doesn’t matter who he’s about to fight -- he knows exactly what they’re going to do and exactly how long it will take to beat them.
Standing at 5-foot-9 and 145 pounds, for featherweight fights, he doesn’t sound all that intimidating. The massive tattoo on his chest, of a gorilla eating a human heart, and a tiger covering his abs add a little showmanship. Then you watch him fight. At the UFC 194, he was faced with what should have been his toughest opponent yet, Jose Aldo, one of the all-time greats. Aldo had not lost a fight in 10 years. Now, this fight is for the UFC featherweight championship of the world. McGregor walks out of the tunnel bouncing and smiling. His eyes scan for Irish flags despite having his own draped across his shoulders. He enters the ring and circles it several times, chest puffed out and chin up. He throws several practice punches and kicks, squats low, and bobs up and down. He moves like a spider -- itching for the fight to start. The fight begins, and normally the first round is about feeling out your opponent and determining the pace of the fight. McGregor throws one punch. He knocks out Aldo after 13 seconds.
McGregor operates like no fighter before him. Every sport needs a face of the game, and he gladly fills this position. He wears suits, leaves his sunglasses on indoors, and drives a Rolls Royce. He’s beyond polite and adores his fans -- both American and Irish. Recently, he passed an apartment building and spotted a cardboard cutout of himself and an Irish flag on a balcony. He tweeted that he would stop by sometime and say hello, and he did. He hugged the people, signed autographs, took pictures, and went out on the balcony to see the cutout up close. The man loves his fans just as much as they love him. Never before has there been a better mix of badass and role model.
In his post-fight interview -- Irish flag still across his shoulders -- he was asked about how he was able to knock out Aldo in just 13 seconds. He responded with the most poetic thing I’ve ever heard an athlete say: “Precision beats power, and timing beats speed.” This message tells us not only how to knock out Jose Aldo, but that intellect and preparation can beat any level of physical prowess. He concluded the interview by grabbing the microphone and exclaiming “Ireland! Baby, we did it! Yeah!” The fight against Aldo took place in Las Vegas, at the MGM Grand. The casino floor flooded with Irish fans in celebration. Thousands of Irish fans fly in every time McGregor enters the ring. His following is beyond belief. While he may have a special place in his heart for his Irish brethren, he makes sure to thank, take pictures, and put on a show for every one of his fans -- Irish or American.
McGregor is scheduled to fight Nate Diaz on Saturday, March 5, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Diaz is a tough guy from Stockton, California, who’s known most notably for his trash talk inside the ring. This fight was supposed to be against Rafael dos Anjos for the lightweight belt -- a 10-pound step up from McGregor’s typical 145-pound fighting weight. But dos Anjos broke his foot and Diaz was chosen to replace him. And because of the short notice, McGregor has allowed Diaz to shoot for a 170-pound fighting weight -- two weight classes above McGregor’s championship belt. But this, as you might expect, doesn’t worry McGregor at all. He’s said many times that he wants to make his own division and can fight anyone, at any weight. He said boldly at the UFC 196 press conference that he’ll finish Diaz inside the first round. And why shouldn’t we believe him?
