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Conor McGregor has always been able to hold his own in the octagon. He made his impact in the MMA world after an excellent UFC debut that earned him a 'Knockout of the Night' honor. The Irishman picked up one impressive win after the other as he announced himself as a force to be reckoned with in the UFC.
While he has several accolades to his name, like being the first double champion in the UFC, nothing has come easy for Conor McGregor. 'The Notorious' has been doubted many times in situations that could, at the very least, be described as tempestuous. However, McGregor has always managed to overcome the odds and surprise UFC fans again and again.
On that note, let's take look at five such instances when UFC fans were ready to give up on Conor McGregor.
#5 Conor McGregor vs Chad Mendes - UFC 189
Conor McGregor's last obstacle on his way to the UFC featherweight title was Chad Mendes. At UFC 189, for the interim title, McGregor tested deep waters and almost drowned. While he made a strong start, giving Mendes a tough time to start proceedings, things quickly turned the other way.
Mendes, not enjoying as much success in stand-up, took matters to the floor with his excellent takedown ability. He took down Conor McGregor and slashed him over his right eye with a clubbing elbow. Getting back on their feet, 'Money' looked more confident with his strikes. However, as McGregor seemed to overpower him again, Mendes went in with another takedown.
Also Read: Top 5 grapplers in the UFC right now.
The first round started and ended on two completely different notes. It looked as if the Irishman was finally going to be stopped. After all, it's quite rare for Conor McGregor to bleed while his opponent is fresh. But while UFC fans were ready to give up on him, the 'Notorious' proved his worth.
Chad Mendes started to look exhausted, especially with four takedowns and subsequent ground and pound against Conor McGregor. The Irishman remained calm and calculative even in the second round. After being on his back for nearly four minutes in round two, he slipped back on his feet and finished Mendes in about 40 seconds.
Despite getting dominated on the floor for the majority of the two rounds that made UFC fans almost give up on him, Conor McGregor came out victorious.
#4 Conor McGregor's upset loss against Nate Diaz at UFC 196
Conor McGregor faced Nate Diaz at welterweight after Rafael Dos Anjos pulled out due to injury. Coming in at short notice, Diaz was a heavy underdog, and McGregor was, as usual, the favorite. Despite getting absolutely thrashed by the 'Notorious' in the first round, Diaz bounced back in the second.
The Stockton native, known for his endurance, pressed on and tagged Conor McGregor, hurting him with his 1-2 combinations. As a result, McGregor shot for the legs of the Gracie jiu-jitsu maestro but paid the ultimate price for it.
Submitting 'The Notorious' in round two, Nate Diaz caused one of the biggest upsets in UFC history. It also made UFC fans almost give up on McGregor, who up until now was considered invincible.
Conor McGregor won the rematch five months later at UFC 202, though. He displayed an improved gas tank and calculative striking that helped him grind for 25 minutes while keeping Diaz at bay.
Proving how unwise it is for UFC fans to give up on him, the Irishman eked out a hard-fought decision win. Three months later, he defeated Eddie Alvarez to become the first reigning multi-division champion in UFC history.
Also Read: "That's super traumatic" - UFC welterweight Bryan Barberena discusses the impact of Conor McGregor's broken leg.
#3 Conor McGregor's boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather
Conor McGregor took a hiatus from MMA in 2017 to take on one of the greatest boxers ever, Floyd Mayweather. Widely considered one of the best boxers in the UFC, McGregor set out to test his skills at the highest level. Knowing that Mayweather was on an entirely different level than McGregor, UFC fans were ready to give up on 'The Notorious' once again.
However, Conor McGregor would go toe to toe with the boxing great for ten rounds, proving his skill and heart. There were moments when McGregor stunned Floyd Mayweather with his crafty striking, but not being well-versed with boxing rules proved to be an inconvenience for him. McGregor ended up losing the fight via TKO at the end of ten rounds, with the judges scoring the fight 87-83, 89-82 and 89-81 in Mayweather's favor.
While he lost the bout, Conor McGregor proved he had what it took to face an undefeated boxing legend and keep him on his toes. The UFC superstar also bagged an estimated paycheque of $100 million for the fight, earning the biggest salary of his life.
#2 Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov
Conor McGregor faced his biggest rival and reigning UFC lightweight champion at the time, Khabib Nurmagomedov, at UFC 229. There was a lot of bad blood between the two fighters, with 'The Eagle' even threatening to hospitalize 'The Notorious' in case of an encounter outside the UFC.
At UFC 229, Khabib Nurmagomedov mauled Conor McGregor for four rounds before submitting him via neck crank. It was one of the most humiliating losses of his career for the former UFC double champion. Five months later, McGregor announced his retirement, causing fans to give up on him and believing that he was done for good.
However, following his usual pattern, Conor McGregor came out of retirement with a bang. He first got into a little beef with UFC president Dana White and then entered the octagon at UFC 246 to face Donald Cerrone. Announcing his return and proving his doubters wrong, 'The Notorious' knocked out 'Cowboy' in 40 seconds in dominating fashion.
Also Read: Conor McGregor medically suspended from competing in the UFC until 2022.
#1 Conor McGregor's UFC 264 loss and injury
Conor McGregor's latest setback came at UFC 264. Coming in for the trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier, McGregor was fired up and as mean as ever. He engaged in a lot of trash talk against 'The Diamond' and promised to 'absolutely destroy' him during the fight.
While McGregor made a fiery entry at UFC 264 by landing a barrage of kicks on Dustin Poirier, he soon ended up on the floor following a takedown. Following a little ground and pound by Poirier, the two fighters got back on their feet in the last minute of the first round.
Conor McGregor, who had compromised his shin earlier in the fight, suffered a freak injury in the dying seconds of round one. With the fight ending in a TKO win for Dustin Poirier via doctor's stoppage, McGregor was stretchered out of the arena.
'The Notorious' stands doubted yet again by UFC fans, who suspect whether the superstar will be able to return from this setback.
Apart from the lengthy medical suspension that Conor McGregor faces for recovery, his injury could also see the UFC star's prime slip away for good. Many UFC fans, analysts and fighters have already written him off.
Can Conor McGregor prove his doubters wrong this time around? Let us know in the comments.
