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Conor McGregor is one of the fiercest rivals to have in the UFC. The pressure he puts on his opponents' minds, both inside and outside the octagon, has proven to be overwhelming on many occasions. From his relentless trash talk on social media and in press conferences to his crafty fighting skills inside the octagon, he is truly 'Notorious'.
However, there's more to Conor McGregor than fight fans would think. While talking trash and being extremely competitive comes naturally to the Irishman, he is also capable of making friends and having a good time with them. It is mostly his tougher side that is showcased in the UFC, but he has also proven to be a good friend to some.
Let's take a look at five of Conor McGregor's closest friends in MMA.
#5. Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone
Conor McGregor and fellow UFC welterweight Donald Cerrone share mutual respect and have been friends for some time now. In a business where it is easy for highly competitive fighters like McGregor to start rivalries with their counterparts, the two have been quite cordial and warm with each other.
The friendship between Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone was most evident around the time the two fought each other at UFC 246 in 2020. During the pre-fight press conference, McGregor spoke of Cerrone and said:
"It's hard not to respect Donald right now at this stage. He has my respect. And although there will be blood spilled on Jan. 18, it will not be bad blood."
During a media conference in 2015, Conor McGregor and Donald Cerrone had chided each other. However, when asked about his feelings for the Irishman ahead of UFC 246, 'Cowboy' called McGregor "f***ing great" and said he felt honored to share the experience with him.
'Cowboy' also defended Conor McGregor by sailing past questions about his legal troubles. Replying to a media question about the Irishman's alleged sexual assaults, Cerrone said that they were here to discuss fights and nothing else.
The friendliness between the two didn't end there. Conor McGregor tended to Donald Cerrone after knocking him out 40 seconds at UFC 246. Asking Cerrone whether it was his shoulder strike that broke his opponent's orbital bone, McGregor said:
"I love you Donald. Those shoulder shots broke it eh?"
McGregor even hugged Donald Cerrone's grandmother, who was present inside the octagon after the fight and later praised the woman.
#4. Conor McGregor and Tom Egan
Conor McGregor was learning plumbing and playing football back in Crumlin before he got into MMA. Although he had taken up boxing since he was 12, McGregor was influenced by a man named Tom Egan to take up MMA. It was in 2006 that the 'Notorious' megastar finally began sparring in MMA with Egan.
Tom Egan would go onto become the first Irish athlete to be signed by the UFC, and he certainly deserves the credit for introducing Conor McGregor to the world of combat sports. The two Irish fighters have been friends ever since. McGregor spoke about Egan and said:
"I met Tom who was just grappling at the time. Around the same time we discovered MMA, so I'd head up to his gym in Kildare and we'd teach each other what we knew, then scrap at the end of it."
Tom Egan's UFC debut came in 2009, three years before Conor McGregor was signed by the MMA promotion. Speaking about his feelings on paving the way for Irish fighters to the UFC, including his friend Conor McGregor, Egan said:
"To think had I not taken that opportunity, maybe we wouldn't have a Conor McGregor or a Cathal Pendred or a Paddy Holohan or an Aisling Daly... I'm not taking away from their success, but only going by their words and their accounts of that night to see their friend and training partner in that big of an arena lit a fire under all of them."
#3. Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber
Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber have been friends ever since they coached against each other at TUF: Season 22. While Faber was coaching Team America, McGregor had Team Europe's command. The two fighters got into physical confrontations a bunch of times but tempers never flared up too badly, which led to them developing a definite fondness for each other.
Urijah Faber spoke of his relationship with Conor McGregor and told Submission Radio:
"Conor and I have a funny relationship. We like to talk crap to each other but I actually think he’s a decent dude. We’ve had it on a couple of occasions where we start talking and start into a physical confrontation. We’re both fighters and when personal space gets invaded…but we never really cross the line. Tempers never flare too bad. Conor can take a joke, I can dish it out and take a joke as well, so there’s a lot of banter back and forth..."
Watch Conor McGregor and Urijah Faber's friendly interactions below:
#2. Conor McGregor and Artem Lobov
Artem Lobov is certainly one of the closest friends to Conor McGregor in the sport of MMA. He has often put his career on hold and has turned down fights to help his SBG teammate prepare for big events, namely the bout against Floyd Mayweather.
The Russian has been a constant in Conor McGregor’s corner and camp throughout his UFC tenure. However, the two fighters formed their bond during their time together on the mats of SBG. Speaking about how they ended up training together in the first place, Artem Lobov said:
"It would be very hard to end up sparring Conor shortly after you walk into the gym because we have so many fighters. At that time it was only me, Conor and (Owen) Roddy that were featherweights, so naturally we ended up training together a lot."
The two have been together through thick and thin, propping each other up whenever needed.
After Artem Lobov won a one-sided bout against Teruto Ishihara, McGregor was seen scaling the fence and celebrating his friend's biggest UFC win in front of a cheering SSE Arena.
'The Russian Hammer' has even gone on to admit that it was because of McGregor that he was signed by the UFC. Artem Lobov being slapped by Khabib Nurmagomedov in a minor confrontation was why McGregor had thrown a steel dolly at the bus carrying Khabib and other UFC 223 fighters.
#1. Conor McGregor and Dillon Danis
Conor McGregor and jiu-jitsu maestro Dillon Danis have been working together since 2016, and have developed a close bond over the course of five years. Danis, who is currently signed with Bellator, admitted that he saw McGregor as his big brother.
"He’s (Conor McGregor) a big brother to me. It’s like getting to watch Muhammad Ali every day. He teaches me that the things you say are important," said Dillon Danis.
Dillon Danis also confessed that he enjoys huge levels of popularity because he is close with Conor McGregor. He said:
"It’s kind of crazy. Being young and getting this popularity, free things and girls everywhere. You could be 40-0, and no one will know your name. [I’m] 1-0, and everyone knows my name."
When Khabib Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor at UFC 229, it was the Irishman's cornerman Dillon Danis who couldn't stop jawing at the Russian. The whole fiasco was centered around Danis not giving in despite his friend losing inside the octagon, and Khabib reacting to it.
