5 UFC stars who are better boxers than Conor McGregor

Conor Mcgregor is undoubtedly the biggest star in UFC history. Throughout his career, 'The Notorious' has taken himself and the sport of MMA to new heights. It was his skills that helped him achieve such historic success.

McGregor's technical striking stood out from the moment he stepped inside the octagon. He showcased phenomenal accuracy, timing and power. No one, including Max Holloway, Dustin Poirier or Jose Aldo, could deal with the Irishman's boxing. After becoming the UFC featherweight champion in 2015, McGregor moved to lightweight.

Even at a higher weight, his movement and speed were unaffected. In 2016, he put on a striking clinic against Eddie Alvarez and became the UFC lightweight champion. He even held his own against one of the best defensive boxers of all time, Floyd Mayweather.

The former double champ was once considered by many to be the best boxer in the UFC. However, that may no longer be the case. He has not found much success since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in 2018. While the Irishman's accuracy, speed and power have remained intact, his footwork and movement have changed. While fighters often alter their style, in McGregor's case, these changes have not been beneficial.

McGregor has also been affected by inactivity. 'The Notorious' has fought only four times since 2018. After back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier, many believe that the competition has caught up to and, ultimately, surpassed him. So let's take a look at 5 current UFC stars who are better boxers than Conor McGregor.

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#5. Max Holloway - former UFC featherweight champion

Fast hands, vicious combinations and durability are the main elements of Max Holloway's style. The Hawaiian started his mixed martial arts journey at a young age. He was only twenty when he faced Conor McGregor in 2013. 'Blessed' was younger and had less experience than McGregor. The Irishman won but, despite his best efforts, was unable to finish Holloway.

'Blessed' has improved exponentially since his loss. From January 2014 to July 2019, he won all of his featherweight fights. He sharpened his accuracy and increased his already high striking volume.

Holloway also improved his head movement and countering ability. While not the strongest featherweight, Holloway likes to string together combinations that overwhelm his opponent.

He has outboxed opponents like Jose Aldo, Brian Ortega, Anthony Pettis, Calvin Kattar, and many more. While McGregor wilted under Poirier's power at UFC 257, back in 2019 at UFC 236, 'Blessed' took Poirier's best shots and survived. Earlier this year, Holloway showed just how much his boxing has improved while facing Calvin Kattar.

For five rounds, 'Blessed' brutalized his opponent and landed 746 total punches while effortlessly dodging most of Kattar's strikes. Currently, the only visible hole in Hollway's boxing is his lack of defense. It's something Alexander Volkanovski has taken full advantage of to out-point the Hawaiian in their previous fights.

#4. Jorge Masvidal - the BMF of the UFC

Jorge Masvidal is a street fighter turned UFC star. The 37-year-old has been fighting since he was a boy. For years he fought illegally on the streets of Miami before becoming a mixed martial artist. His time as a street fighter helped him develop his durability and movement in the octagon.

Feints, head movement, precise striking and unorthodox movement best characterize his boxing style. 'Gamebred' often utilizes his unorthodox movement to confuse an opponent.

Where most fighters might throw a jab, Masvidal often throws a cross or a hook from similar positions. Mixing up the rhythm always keeps his opponents guessing, allowing him to dictate the pace of the fight.

'Gamebred' also has excellent head movement and traps opponents with feints. His skills have allowed him to outbox Donald Cerrone, Daren Till and Nate Diaz. Even McGregor had a lot of trouble dealing with Nate Diaz's boxing in their fights.

Apart from being a well-rounded boxer, the welterweight veteran is also among the most durable fighters out there. Out of 15 career losses, Masvidal has been knocked out only twice.

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#3. Israel Adesanya - the best counter striker in the UFC?

Israel Adesanya has emerged as one of the most formidable middleweights in UFC history. 'The Last Stylebender' made his UFC debut in 2018, but before that, he was a kickboxer with a stellar record of 75-5. The Nigerian was also a boxer. While he fought only six times, he won five bouts.

Adesanya has showcased exceptional striking from the beginning of his UFC career. Being an experienced kickboxer, Adesanya disrupts his opponent's rhythm with kicks and then lands accurate punches. This is reminiscent of how McGregor fought in his early days.

However, 'The Last Stylebender's boxing is more defensive. Adesanya is a master at slipping and countering. His head movement is some of the best in MMA and he can land power shots without any telegraphing. His counters are precise and powerful enough to drop opponents to the canvas.

He finished Robert Whittaker with a sharp counter-right hook to become the UFC middleweight champion. The Kiwi also finished Derek Brunson and Paulo Costa with counter punches.

Over time, McGregor has become more flatfooted and lost some of his unpredictability. Meanwhile, Adesanya's defense, movement and feints make him the more elusive target inside the octagon.

#2. Petr Yan - The interim UFC bantamweight champ

Petr Yan captured the bantamweight title after just two years in the UFC. After beating veterans like John Dodson and Urijah Faber, Yan knocked out Jose Aldo to become the king of the division in 2020.

The Russian started boxing at a young age and was a standout amateur boxer. His superior boxing skills were apparent from the moment he stepped inside the octagon. In his first fight, he KO'd Teruto Ishihara in round one.

Yan is arguably the heaviest hitter in the UFC bantamweight division. However, he is not just a power puncher but has excellent technique as well. 'No Mercy' uses his jab very effectively. He uses it to split his opponent's guard and dictate the distance, disrupting their rhythm.

The Russian also switches between hard shots to the body and the head. While McGregor has become more of a head hunter, Yan often catches opponents off guard with sudden level changes. Another aspect that makes 'No Mercy' special is that he can box equally well in both orthodox and southpaw stances.

At UFC 257, the Irishman lost his mobility when Poirier took out his lead leg. Meanwhile, when Jose Aldo troubled Yan with leg kicks, he switched stances and TKO'd Aldo later in the fight.

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#1. Dustin Poirier - Outboxing Conor McGregor

Dustin Poirier is a battle-hardened UFC veteran. Poirier has always been a well-rounded fighter who relies more on his striking prowess.

However, at UFC 178, the Louisiana native's striking was not on par with Conor McGregor. The Irishman pressured Poirier, dropped him with a powerful left hook and finished him in round one. Undeterred by the loss, 'The Diamond' moved up to lightweight.

It soon became clear that the American was more of a natural at lightweight. The weight increase did not affect his cardio. Over the years, he has been in five-round wars with Justin Gaethje, Dan Hooker and Max Holloway but has never gassed out. However, the most noticeable improvement was how much more power he generated.

Since 2015, he has amassed 9 KO/TKO wins. Along with power, he also improved his defense and timing. These improvements were on full display against his old rival, 'The Notorious'. When the Irishman made his much-anticipated return in January 2021, Poirier pulled off an upset for the ages.

He compromised McGregor's movement with heavy leg kicks. He also slipped and parried McGregor's biggest shots. In the second round, 'The Diamond' had the Irishman up against the fence and finished him with massive punches. The trilogy fight at UFC 264 was more of the same. Poirier was up 10-9 on the judges' scorecards when McGregor suffered a leg injury at the end of round one.