History of Conor McGregor in Timeline
Conor Anthony McGregor (Irish: Conchúr Antóin Mac Gréagóir; born 14 July 1988) is an Irish retired professional mixed martial artist and boxer.
July 1988
Conor Anthony McGregor was born in Crumlin, Dublin on 14 July 1988, the son of Tony and Margaret McGregor. He was raised in Crumlin and attended a Gaelscoil and Gaelcholáiste at both primary and at secondary level in Coláiste de hÍde in Tallaght, where he also developed his passion for sport, playing association football. In his youth, he played football for Lourdes Celtic Football Club. At the age of 12, McGregor also began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club.
1995
At the weigh-ins, McGregor and Mendes both made the 145-pound limit, in front of a record crowd of 11,500 spectators. Once again, McGregor's compatriots flocked to the United States to support him, with Dana White stating that approximately 25% of the tickets sold for the event were from Ireland and the United Kingdom. The official attendance for the event, 16,019, broke the record in Nevada, whilst the gate of $7,200,000 broke the record for a mixed martial arts event in the United States. Just prior to the fight, McGregor's typical entrance song, "The Foggy Dew", was sung live by Irish singer-songwriter Sinéad O'Connor, who performed the rendition of the song which she had recorded alongside the band The Chieftains in 1995.
2006
In 2006, McGregor moved with his family to Lucan, Dublin, attending Gaelcholáiste Coláiste Cois Life. Following that, he commenced a plumbing apprenticeship. While in Lucan, he met future UFC fighter Tom Egan and they soon started training mixed martial arts (MMA) together.
2006
On 17 February 2007, at the age of 18, McGregor made his mixed martial arts debut in an amateur fight against Kieran Campbell for the Irish Ring of Truth promotion in Dublin. He won via technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. Following the fight, he turned professional and was signed by the Irish Cage of Truth promotion. In 2008, McGregor began training at the Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin under John Kavanagh.
March 2008
On 9 March 2008, McGregor had his first professional MMA bout, as a lightweight, defeating Gary Morris with a second-round TKO. After McGregor won his second fight against Mo Taylor, he made his featherweight debut in a loss via submission against Artemij Sitenkov. After a victory at featherweight in his next bout against Stephen Bailey, McGregor contemplated a different career path before his mother contacted his coach John Kavanagh and reinvigorated him to continue pursuing mixed martial arts.
November 2010
The loss was Conor McGregor's first in the UFC, and his third overall. It broke his winning streak of 15 consecutive wins, and was his first loss since November 2010. Both competitors were awarded "Fight of the Night" bonuses, and McGregor received the highest disclosed purse of any fighter in the history of the company, a total of $1,000,000. In the post-fight interview, McGregor evaluated the contest, stating that "I felt I took the first round, but I was inefficient with my energy. But I'm humble in victory or defeat. I respect Nate; he came in, he took the fight on short notice, came in at 170, and done the job. He was efficient, I was not efficient. That was it, I feel." Regarding the future, McGregor said he would "face it like a man, like a champion, and come back and do it again." At the post-fight press conference, McGregor was content with the loss, stating that "this is the game. We win some, we lose some. I will never shy away from a challenge. I will never shy away from defeat. This is the fight business. It's another day. I'll come back."
February 2013
In February 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced that they had signed McGregor to a multi-fight contract. In joining, McGregor became only the second fighter from Ireland to compete for the company, following fellow SBG team member Tom Egan.
February 2013
McGregor then won his next fight, also at featherweight, against Connor Dillon, before moving back to lightweight for a fight against Joseph Duffy, where he received his second professional loss after submitting to an arm-triangle choke. Following this, during 2011 and 2012, McGregor went on an eight-fight winning streak, during which he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships, making him the first European professional mixed martial artist to hold titles in two divisions simultaneously. In February 2013, UFC president Dana White made a trip to Dublin, Ireland to receive a Gold Medal of Honorary Patronage from Trinity College and was inundated with requests to sign McGregor to the UFC. After a meeting with McGregor, and talking with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta, White offered him a contract days later.
April 2013
On 6 April 2013, McGregor made his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage on the preliminary card of UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. Brimage began the fight aggressively, meeting McGregor in the middle of the octagon before launching a flurry of strikes to push him back. McGregor, repeatedly throwing a counter left hand, found little success with his initial striking. After ascertaining that Brimage was susceptible to a snap kick directed at his chest and chin, McGregor began to employ a looping left hand uppercut, throwing every time Brimage would move forward into striking range. These uppercuts grounded Brimage shortly after McGregor started to use them. The bout was stopped 1:07 into the first round. The win also earned McGregor his first "Knockout of the Night" award.
August 2013
McGregor was expected to face Andy Ogle on 17 August 2013 at UFC Fight Night 26, but Ogle pulled out of the bout citing an injury and was replaced by Max Holloway. McGregor bewildered Holloway with his unusual boxing technique, and his incorporation of a wide variety of taekwondo kicks, many of which are not used in MMA to a significant degree. McGregor was able to control the striking range by using long, non-committal low side kicks to Holloway's knee and shin, and initiate combinations by leaping in with switch and bicycle kicks. When the fight was brought to the ground, McGregor maintained top control, performing various positional advances, and mitigating his opponent's offence on the ground. McGregor won the fight by unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, and 30–26). Following the bout with Holloway, an MRI scan revealed that McGregor had torn his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during the bout and would require surgery, keeping him out of action for up to ten months.
July 2014
McGregor was expected to face Cole Miller on 19 July 2014 at UFC Fight Night 46 in his comeback bout after recovering from his ACL injury. However, Miller pulled out of the bout citing a thumb injury and was replaced by Diego Brandão. McGregor fought Brandão in front of a loud, rowdy crowd of 9,500 at The O2 in his hometown of Dublin, Ireland. McGregor began the fight with a signature spinning side kick, before finding his range and successfully landing various taekwondo kicks, and left hand counters. Brandão, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, attempted to instigate two takedowns, so that he could make use of his grappling pedigree, but both attempts were avoided by McGregor. Nonetheless, much of the fight was spent on the ground, as McGregor attained a takedown 1:20 into the bout. When the fight returned to the feet in the third minute, McGregor began to employ his left hand cross, and started to cut off the cage. Brandão, trapped between the octagon and McGregor, fell to his side after being hit with another left hand cross as the fight went into its fourth minute. The fight was officially halted by referee Leon Roberts at 4:05 of the first round. The win earned McGregor his first "Performance of the Night" award.
September 2014
Prior to his next bout, McGregor met with Lorenzo Fertitta and signed a new multi-fight contract with the UFC. McGregor next faced Dustin Poirier on 27 September 2014 at UFC 178. The bout was one of the most anticipated fights on the UFC 178 card, with McGregor and Poirier two of only four men involved in the pre-fight press conference, alongside the originally scheduled headliners Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier. Part of the anticipation stemmed from the challenge the match-up posed: Poirier was McGregor's first opponent ranked in the UFC's top ten featherweights. Despite McGregor landing 9 significant strikes to Poirier's 10, he managed to secure a victory early on in the first round, by pressuring Poirier onto his back foot, before exploding with a left hook behind Poirier's ear, forcing referee Herb Dean to step in. The finish officially came at 1:46 into the first round. This marked Poirier's first UFC loss via KO/TKO, and earned McGregor his second straight "Performance of the Night" award. In the post-fight interview with commentator Joe Rogan, McGregor cited the UFC Featherweight Championship as his next goal in the organisation, stating that "If [the UFC] want, I'll eliminate Chad Mendes and step in and give the fans what they want; Aldo vs. McGregor."
January 2015
The highly anticipated bout with Aldo was announced on 30 January 2015, at the UFC 183 Q&A. McGregor himself declared that he was expected to face Aldo on 11 July 2015 at UFC 189 for the undisputed UFC Featherweight Championship, during the UFC's annual International Fight Week. The fight would take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. The UFC, confident that the fight would exceed expectations, increased the promotional budget for the event, with company president Dana White stating that "[the UFC] spent more money promoting Aldo–McGregor than any fight in UFC history." In an effort to publicise the bout, both McGregor and Aldo embarked on a 12-day world tour, during which visited eight cities in five countries, including Aldo's home country of Brazil (Rio de Janeiro), the United States of America (Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Boston, New York City), Canada (Toronto), England (London), and McGregor's hometown of Dublin, Ireland. The tour began in Rio de Janeiro on 20 March, and completed in Dublin on 31 March. However, on 23 June, it was reported that Aldo had suffered a rib fracture and had pulled out of the bout in light of the injury. McGregor remained on the card and was rescheduled to face Chad Mendes for the Interim Featherweight Championship. This change of opponent was considered highly significant stylistically, not only because Mendes was the #1 ranked featherweight contender and a former title challenger, but also as McGregor's previous opponents in the UFC, as well as Aldo, were considered striking technicians. According to many pundits, McGregor had never faced a wrestler before, which Mendes, a former NCAA Division I wrestler, was.
September 2015
At the UFC's "Go Big" press conference, on 4 September 2015, McGregor referenced both Aldo and his other opponents' tendency to pull-out of bouts with him, suggesting that Aldo would not fight at UFC 194. He implored everyone on the dais, from members of the 145-pound featherweight division to the 170-pound welterweight division, to "prepare for this fight, because I don't think [Aldo's] showing up... Don't use [Mendes'] excuse of camps and all this bullshit. Stay ready, because [Aldo's] gone running." McGregor also made comments shortly prior to the press conference, detailing his intention to move up to the 155-pound lightweight division, and capture the UFC Lightweight Championship. He stated, "I'm going to unify the belts, I'm going to destroy the [featherweight] division, and then I'm going to take the lightweight division as well."
2015
During McGregor's rise in the UFC, he often made public insults towards Floyd Mayweather Jr. and pushed for a boxing match with him. Floyd Mayweather Jr. also eventually entertained this idea despite having retired in 2015 and McGregor's never having boxed professionally. After rumours of a McGregor-Mayweather bout started gaining traction, Dana White initially dismissed the proposed match vehemently since McGregor was contracted under the UFC. On 30 November 2016, McGregor obtained a professional boxing licence from the California State Athletic Commission.
2015
McGregor's dominant victory over Poirier, paired with his brash trash-talking directed at the rest of the featherweight division, particularly UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo, allowed him to establish a claim to a potential title shot in the near future. McGregor was then scheduled to face perennial featherweight contender Dennis Siver on 18 January 2015 at UFC Fight Night 59, in what was later deemed by UFC President Dana White a #1 contender bout. If McGregor were to win the fight, he would face Aldo for the Featherweight Championship later in 2015. The bout served as McGregor's return to Boston, after his 2013 fight with Max Holloway, and was the fourth-most attended UFC Fight Night event of all time, with an official attendance of 13,828. With a four-inch reach advantage, McGregor was able to land his signature left hand cross consistently, with Siver struggling to counter all throughout the bout. McGregor kept distance by using side kicks to the legs of Siver, as well as wild spinning wheel kicks and leaping roundhouse kicks. Much of Siver's most successful offence came by way of oblique side kicks to McGregor's lead leg, and to his chest. McGregor was mostly successful in avoiding his opponent's attack after the first two minutes of the fight, as he would slip underneath any counter left hooks that Siver offered as McGregor stepped in to deliver his left cross. Siver, a capable Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Judo practitioner, attempted three takedowns in the first round of the bout, but McGregor was able to avoid all three attempts handily. Despite landing 43 significant strikes to Siver's 27 in the first round, the fight extended into the second round, where McGregor landed over four times as many strikes as his opponent. At 1:26 into the second, McGregor landed a left hand cross that knocked Siver down onto his back. After passing Siver's guard, McGregor mounted his opponent and began throwing punches and elbows. Referee Herb Dean officially stopped the fight at 1:54 of the second round. The win came via TKO. The victory also earned McGregor his third straight "Performance of the Night" award. After the fight, McGregor jumped over the cage and confronted José Aldo, who was seated cage side at the event.
2015
Nevada State Athletic Commission announced the live gate for the event was $55,414,865.79 from 13,094 tickets sold and 137 complimentary tickets given out. This was far less than the Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight, which grossed $72 million from a paid attendance of 16,219 in 2015, despite claims from Ellerbe and Mayweather that it did more than $80 million. Sky Sports announced the fight garnered over a million PPV buys in the UK and grossed in excess of £20 million, surpassing the record set in April 2017 when Anthony Joshua defeated Wladimir Klitschko in front of 90,000 at Wembley Stadium. This also meant the fight generated more buys in the UK than Mayweather-Pacquiao which took place in 2015. On 14 December 2017, Showtime officially announced that the fight recorded the 2nd highest buy rate in the United States and Canada at 4.3 million pay-per-view buys.
January 2016
After emphatically dispatching Aldo, McGregor continued to express a desire to move up to the lightweight division, in an attempt to become the first ever UFC dual-weight champion. On the FOX Sports post-fight show for UFC 194, McGregor said that he would "like to go up and fight for that 155-pound belt and replicate what I've done in Cage Warriors." A week after UFC 194, the UFC Lightweight Championship was contested at UFC on Fox: dos Anjos vs. Cerrone 2, between reigning champion Rafael dos Anjos, and the #2 lightweight contender, Donald Cerrone. dos Anjos defeated Cerrone 1:06 into the first round, via TKO. After the bout, during the post-fight interview, dos Anjos took aim at McGregor, telling the Featherweight Champion that "it's better to stay in the featherweight division... I will fight you in Brazil. I will go to Ireland to fight you there. Whatever one, man. I'm here to stay." On 12 January 2016, the UFC officially announced that Conor McGregor would face Rafael dos Anjos for the UFC Lightweight Championship on 5 March at UFC 196 (then known as UFC 197). The event would be held at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, in McGregor's third consecutive headlining appearance at the venue. On 20 January, the UFC hosted a press conference featuring all the combatants involved in the two championship fights headlining the UFC 197 event, including McGregor and dos Anjos. McGregor criticised his opponent on numerous occasions throughout the press conference, stating "Rafael dos Anjos is a free TV fighter. He doesn't have much to offer me besides that gold belt... His last gate was $1.7 million. He fights on free TV. He hasn't made the company a dime." McGregor also entertained the idea of challenging for the UFC Welterweight Championship, telling the media that "I will fight in many weight divisions. I like the sound of that 170-pound title as well. I feel like I can take three gold belts." His prediction for the fight with dos Anjos was that he would "dust Rafael inside one minute."
February 2016
On 23 February, it was announced that dos Anjos was withdrawing from the fight after breaking his foot. A variety of competitors at all different weight classes were asked to step-in on short notice to face McGregor, including former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo, who refused the bout due to a "lack of time" to prepare for it, and former UFC Lightweight Champion and #2 ranked featherweight Frankie Edgar, who turned the fight down due to a groin injury. Instead, #10 ranked lightweight contender, The Ultimate Fighter Season 5 winner, and former UFC Lightweight Championship challenger Nate Diaz would be stepping in to fight McGregor on 13 days' notice instead of dos Anjos. Initially assumed to be a lightweight contest, McGregor allowed the bout to be contested at 170-pounds, in the welterweight division, to avoid forcing Diaz to cut down to the 155-pound lightweight limit in such little time, telling Diaz to "get comfortable". McGregor opened as a -400 favourite, his third-highest opening behind his fights with Dennis Siver and Diego Brandão, and was widely expected to best Diaz during the contest. On 24 February 2016, a press conference was held to help promote the new main event, with both men trading insults back-and-forth. At the Thursday pre-fight press conference on 3 March, McGregor and Diaz engaged in a brief scuffle during a face-off, after McGregor landed a strike on Diaz's lead hand. At the weigh-ins, in front of another pro-McGregor crowd, both men made the welterweight limit, Diaz weighing in at 169 pounds, and McGregor weighing in at 168. The UFC 196 event, whilst failing to exceed the gate and attendance records of McGregor's previous bout against Aldo, provided respectable numbers, with a revised attendance of 14,898, and a total gate of $8.1 million. More significantly, the event procured a PPV buyrate of 1,317,000 buys, surpassing McGregor's own personal record of 1,200,000 for UFC 194.
June 2016
McGregor will almost always engage in trash talk and "psychological warfare" against his opponents, which has led to comparisons with Muhammad Ali, whom McGregor cites as one of his early inspirations. After Ali died in June 2016, McGregor opined that "nobody will ever come close to [Ali's] greatness".
March 2017
On 7 March 2017, Mayweather publicly announced he would come out of retirement for a boxing match with McGregor and urged McGregor and the UFC to come to an agreement for the proposed fight. On 16 March 2017, Dana White backpedalled on his stance against a Mayweather–McGregor bout and said that he would not deprive McGregor from making a massive payday. On 18 May 2017, McGregor reportedly agreed to terms with the UFC and Mayweather Jr. for a bout.
May 2017
McGregor has sisters named Erin and Aoife. He has been in a relationship with his girlfriend, Dee Devlin, since 2008. Their first child, Conor Jack McGregor Jr., was born on 5 May 2017. McGregor understands Irish and speaks it to a certain extent.
June 2017
On 14 June 2017, it was officially announced that McGregor would compete in his first professional boxing match against the undefeated Mayweather Jr., on 26 August 2017 at T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. The bout was contested at super welterweight (154 pounds) with 8 oz. gloves. The fight was expected to be the richest in boxing history.
August 2017
On 24 August 2017, it was announced that Mayweather and McGregor would be facing off for the WBC Money Belt. According to the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mayweather would earn a guaranteed purse of $100 million and McGregor was guaranteed $30 million.
September 2017
On 20 September 2017, Congressman Markwayne Mullin said that McGregor would be addressing the United States Congress about legal protections for MMA fighters. McGregor is thought to be speaking on behalf of extending the Muhammad Ali Boxing Reform Act, which extends the rights of boxers, to MMA.
November 2017
On 10 November 2017, McGregor's SBG Ireland teammate Charlie Ward made his debut at Bellator 187 in Dublin against John Redmond. Ward knocked out Redmond in round one, and McGregor jumped the cage (he was not a licensed cornerman) to celebrate Ward's win while the fight was not yet officially declared over. McGregor was separated by referee Marc Goddard, as Goddard needed to verify if the knockout was before the bell, and to ensure lock down of the cage for medical staff to assess the health of the knocked out Redmond. McGregor charged towards Goddard, while he pushed and confronted Goddard in a wild melee, and also checking on the downed Redmond and knocking him down while he was trying to get up.
2017
After winning the lightweight championship at UFC 205, McGregor announced he would take time off from the UFC to wait for the birth of his first child due in 2017. McGregor would spend the majority of his public appearances in early-2017 campaigning for a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather. After months of negotiations, the two finally came to terms on 14 June 2017 and announced the match to take place on 26 August. The match ultimately ended in the 10th round with a victory by TKO for Mayweather.
April 2018
UFC president Dana White said there was a warrant out for McGregor's arrest, and the NYPD said McGregor was a person of interest. White claimed McGregor told him via text message: "This had to be done." "You can imagine he's going to be sued beyond belief," White said, and denied suggestions that the violence was a stunt intended to generate interest in the UFC. McGregor and others involved initially fled the Barclays Center after the incident. He and a fellow accused turned themselves in that night: he was charged with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief. He was further charged with menacing and reckless endangerment at his arraignment and released on $50,000 bail until 14 June 2018. Under the bail conditions negotiated by his then attorney, Jim Walden, and set by the judge, McGregor was allowed to travel without restriction. On 12 April 2018, McGregor hired lawyer Bruce Mafeo of Cozen O'Connor to represent him in this matter. McGregor pleaded no contest to a count of disorderly conduct and was ordered to perform five days of community service and attend anger management classes. On 12 September 2018, Chiesa announced a lawsuit against McGregor, saying that he "experienced pain, suffering and a loss of enjoyment of life" as a result of the attack.
April 2018
On 5 April 2018, during promotional appearances for UFC 223, McGregor and a group of about twenty others were let into the Barclays Center by credentialed members of his promotional team. They attempted to confront Nurmagomedov, who was on a bus leaving the arena with "red corner" fighters for UFC 223 on it, such as Rose Namajunas, Al Iaquinta, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Ray Borg, and Michael Chiesa. McGregor ran up alongside the slowly moving bus and then ran past it to grab a metal equipment dolly, which he then threw at the bus's window, before trying to throw other objects in the vicinity. Chiesa and Borg were injured by the shattered glass and sent to hospital. They were soon removed from the card on the advice of the NYSAC and the UFC's medical team. Lobov was also pulled from his fight for his involvement in the dispute.
April 2018
On 3 April 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Artem Lobov had a minor altercation, in which Nurmagomedov cornered Lobov. Lobov is known to be close to McGregor, with whom Nurmagomedov has had altercations and trash talk exchanges. The two groups have a lengthy history of insults and confrontations.
April 2018
Following the fight at UFC 229 on 6 October 2018, Khabib Nurmagomedov jumped out of the cage and charged towards McGregor's training partner Dillon Danis. Soon afterwards, McGregor and Abubakar Nurmagomedov, Khabib's cousin, also attempted to exit the octagon, but a scuffle broke out after McGregor punched Abubakar, who then punched him back. Two of Nurmagomedov's cornermen retaliated: Esed Emiragaev and Zubaira Tukhugov, who was scheduled to fight on October 27, 2018 at UFC Fight Night: Volkan vs. Smith against Artem Lobov, the McGregor team member who was confronted by Nurmagomedov in April 2018. Nurmagomedov's payment for the fight was withheld by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) as a result, pending an investigation into his actions. Nurmagomedov appeared at the post fight interview and apologised to the NSAC, while also saying that, "You cannot talk about religion. You cannot talk about nation. Guys, you cannot talk about these things. This is very important to me."
September 2018
In September 2018, McGregor launched Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey in Ireland and the United States. McGregor worked on the whiskey for over three years prior to the launch. The whiskey is named after the Crumlin neighborhood, in Dublin 12, in which McGregor grew up. McGregor is the founder and owner of the company. As of November 2018 , the whiskey has sold so well that Tesco stores in Ireland have limited customers to two bottles per visit.
October 2018
The NSAC filed a formal complaint against both McGregor and Nurmagomedov and on 24 October, the NSAC voted to approve a motion to release half of Nurmagomedov's $2 million fight payout immediately. Both Nurmagomedov and McGregor received indefinite bans, at least until the official hearing, which took place in December 2018. On 29 January 2019, the NSAC announced a six month suspension for McGregor, (retroactive to 6 October 2018) and a $50,000 fine. He will be eligible to compete again on 6 April 2019.
December 2018
In late 2018, McGregor said that the brand had sold "hundreds of thousands" of bottles since the launch, and plans were to restock in the United States and Ireland in December 2018. McGregor confirmed the brand will extend distribution to the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Russia, and Canada in 2019.
March 2019
On 11 March 2019, McGregor was arrested outside of the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach, Florida after an altercation with a fan. A police report indicates that McGregor allegedly took a fan's phone who was taking photos of McGregor and smashed it on the ground. McGregor was arrested and charged with strong-armed robbery and criminal mischief. McGregor was held in custody for several hours before being released on a $5,000 bond. A bevy of cameras awaited as he left the police station in Miami. On 14 March 2019, news surfaced that McGregor is also facing a civil lawsuit against the fan involved in the incident.
March 2019
On 26 March 2019, McGregor announced his retirement.
2025
For his walkout, McGregor decided to abandon The Notorious B.I.G's "Hypnotize" for the first time since his homecoming bout against Brandão, and instead opted to use a combination of Sinéad O'Connor and The Chieftain's "The Foggy Dew", followed by The Game and Skrillex's "El Chapo". The fight began with McGregor shifting stances frequently, before looking to establish his patented left cross. The first minute consisted of McGregor showcasing a variety of kicks, before Diaz initiated a clinch, and forced McGregor to the cage. McGregor, aware that Diaz would bring his head low after delivering a jab-cross combination, attempted to make use of a left uppercut, with varied success. Diaz's jab kept McGregor at bay for much of the first two minutes, and McGregor found difficulty using the pullback left-hand counter that had knocked out José Aldo. At 2:32, McGregor connected with a left uppercut counter of Diaz's jab, stunning his opponent for a brief interval. McGregor's left overhand also proved successful, employed as Diaz would lunge in to strike. Diaz's right hook was successful in the first round, catching McGregor as he would step into range. At 3:12, during a McGregor combination, Diaz returned fire with two consecutive hooks, one a slap, a signature of Nate and his brother, Nick Diaz, termed the "Stockton Slap". McGregor avoided Diaz's jabs by slipping to his right, often before throwing his left overhand. At 3:28, commentator Mike Goldberg noted that there was "a lot of blood on the right side of the face of Nate Diaz", indicating that McGregor had opened a cut on Diaz. The final minute consisted of both men exchanging blows, before a slow body kick from McGregor led to Diaz taking him down at 4:18. McGregor swept Diaz's legs, and ended up in his opponent's guard, hammering down with two significant strikes. McGregor landed 28 to Diaz' 23 strikes during round 1, both men attaining a connection percentage of 37%. Many mixed martial arts media sites awarded a 10–9 to McGregor for the round, including Bloody Elbow, MMA Mania, and Sherdog.
Early 2019
McGregor has endorsement deals with Beats by Dre, Monster Energy, Reebok and Bud Light. His endorsement deals round up to $7 million. In early 2018, McGregor signed a deal with Burger King.