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Until recently, Conor McGregor was hailed as the face of combat sports. The Irishman was one of the few fighters equally adept at psychological warfare as he was at performing inside the octagon.
Although McGregor often crossed the line, it was always backed up by his displays inside the octagon. What's more, his quick wits and amusing responses to fighters during interviews, media scrums, and social media exchanges were almost always deemed entertaining.
Often regarded as the UFC's cash cow, Conor McGregor has been part of some of the promotion's biggest pay-per-view events. He earned similar notoriety when he laced up a pair of boxing gloves to battle Floyd Mayweather.
However, if one's actions fail to align with all the talk that they indulge in leading up to a fight, fans often start seeing through their facade.
It seems like all the influence the Dubliner had over the modern MMA community is gradually waning. In this article, we take a look at five reasons behind Conor McGregor's dwindling fame and how it could affect his stock going into his next UFC fight.
#5. Conor McGregor's problematic record
Conor McGregor dropped the 'Unbeaten in the UFC' tag back in 2016 following a loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196. However, he managed to hold on to his reputation as an effective striker. What's more, he went on to avenge his loss in their next meeting at UFC 202.
He subsequently overcame the challenge presented by Eddie Alvarez to sling the UFC lightweight title over his shoulder. A two-year-long layoff from the sport followed, only for him to return in a loss against Khabib Nurmagomedov.
Conor McGregor has since managed to put together a losing record. He has lost three of his last five fights, with two of those losses coming against Dustin Poirier, whom he bested back in 2014 at UFC 178.
#4. Conor McGregor's fall from the rankings
Conor McGregor, who once reigned supreme in one of the most stacked divisions in the global MMA landscape, is inching closer to the bottom of the barrel.
Currently ranked No. 9 in the UFC's official lightweight rankings, Conor McGregor has suffered a tangible fall from grace. A serious comeback seems highly unlikely.
What's more, Conor McGregor does not even feature in the UFC's pound-for-pound rankings. It's something that has perhaps affected McGregor's stock in the eyes of the fans.
Although the Crumlin native is still a threat in the octagon, many argue that his overall marketability and ability to sell tickets is what prompted his retention in the top-10 of the UFC's lightweight rankings.
#3. Conor McGregor's tendency to throw hands outside the octagon
At a time when Conor McGregor is in dire need of his fans' support, his actions outside the octagon are only working to drive them away. Lately, McGregor has built up a negative reputation. Having indulged in a series of brawls with non-fighters, McGregor is no longer seen as just a brash trash-talker, but as a seriously unhinged individual.
Conor McGregor has attacked his fair share of non-fighters; however, one of the most infamous instances involved an elderly man called Desmond Keogh at a pub - The Marble Arch - in Dublin. He subsequently acquired the pub and banned Keogh and the journalist who broke the story from entering. He also renamed it The Black Forge Inn.
One instance that could have exacted a heavy toll on Conor and the McGregor clan was when he attacked an individual linked to the Kinahan cartel in Ireland.
Conor McGregor also got into it at this year's MTV VMAs with popular musician Machine Gun Kelly, attracting the wrath of fans and pundits all over the world.
His most recent scuffle involved Italian DJ Francesco Facchinetti. The DJ found himself nursing some serious injuries after getting decked by the Irishman at the St. Regis hotel in Rome.
#2. Conor McGregor's tendency to take trash talk too far
Trash talk is an integral part of the fight game, and Conor McGregor was a maestro when it came to getting under the skin of his opponents. As of late, however, the Irishman has found himself on the receiving end of a significant amount of criticism for taking things too far.
His insistence on making insolent remarks and offhand comments about fighters' personal lives has brought an ample amount of criticism. Conor McGregor has mainly caught the ire of the community for dragging his opponents' families into the crossfire.
Conor McGregor was severely admonished for one of his tweet-and-delete sprees after 'The Notorious' insulted Khabib Nurmagomedov's late father on social media.
He won no fans when he dragged Dustin Poirier's wife, Jolie Poirier, into his feud with 'The Diamond' ahead of UFC 264. He threatened to kill Poirier and his wife 'in their sleep' after suffering a nasty injury to his leg during their fight.
While McGregor was previously hailed as a master trash-talker, his reluctance to keep things purely UFC-related has cost him a lot of respect in the eyes of his fans.
#1. The severity of Conor McGregor's injury
At the age of 33, there's only so much stress that the body can take. Considering the physical nature of combat sports, the clock for fighters often ticks much faster.
The kind of injury that Conor McGregor suffered would horrify some of the most hardened individuals. A fracture to the lower tibia of his left leg incapacitated McGregor. The nature of this injury can end careers.
While he may have had surgery, the fact that he may not be able to use his dominant leg to its fullest potential will certainly weigh against him when he goes into his next fight.
Having suffered a series of defeats at 155, Conor McGregor wasn't the best fighter in the lightweight division to begin with. An injury as severe as the one he suffered will most certainly have chipped away at his efficiency inside the octagon.
While fans in the combat sports community are some of the most loyal fans in the world, betting on a losing horse is something very few do. Conor McGregor runs the risk of losing fans if his string of defeats continues.
Looking at a return in early 2022, Conor McGregor claims he will be back stronger. However, fans have learned to take everything the Irishman says with a pinch, or handful, of salt.
