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Right now, it’s fair to say that Conor McGregor is the most popular UFC fighter and the promotion’s biggest draw, too. However, there is an argument that the Irishman is on his way down.
If Conor McGregor’s days as the UFC’s biggest star really are numbered, then are there any fighters capable of replacing him in that spot?
The answer is absolutely. Right now, there are a number of potentially big stars competing in the octagon who could go onto surpass the popularity of ‘The Notorious’.
With that in mind, here are five current UFC stars who could potentially surpass Conor McGregor’s popularity.
#5. Sean O’Malley – UFC bantamweight
Any fighter looking to surpass the popularity of Conor McGregor essentially needs to have two things on their side. They need to possess a near-unmatched level of charisma, but they also need to keep winning big fights inside the octagon.
It’s definitely fair to say that current bantamweight contender Sean O’Malley has the charisma to become a huge star for the UFC, but the big question is whether he can keep winning fights and climb the ladder into title contention.
Thus far, at least, he’s done a good job of doing so. Sure, he hasn’t exactly fought the toughest possible opponents yet – his best win is probably Eddie Wineland, who was past his prime when they faced off – but if he can overcome Pedro Munhoz when they square off next month, then it’ll be hard not to buy him as a genuine contender.
It’s that charisma that makes ‘Sugar’ such a big potential star, though. Like fighters such as Nate Diaz and, of course, McGregor, he simply forces the fans to gravitate towards him, and he’s not afraid to speak his mind, either.
Add in the fact that he’s a remarkably exciting fighter to watch – his heavy-handed counterpunching style is actually reminiscent of ‘The Notorious’ when he first broke onto the scene – and it’s fair to say that if he can keep rolling, O’Malley definitely has a shot at surpassing the Irishman’s popularity.
#4. Paddy Pimblett – UFC lightweight
When he arrived in the UFC in 2021, Paddy Pimblett immediately claimed that he was the promotion’s “new cash cow." In many ways, it was hard to disagree with him. The lightweight prospect was immediately able to draw in the fans with his charisma and it wasn’t long before he was garnering comparisons to Conor McGregor.
So can ‘The Baddy’ really surpass the popularity of the Irishman? Interestingly, there are probably a number of paralels between his rise and that of Sean O’Malley, putting them into largely similar situations.
Both fighters definitely have the level of charisma needed to reach the massive popularity of McGregor. Pimblett is phenomenal on the microphone, has a quick wit and has already taken jabs at some major UFC stars, including former bantamweight champ T.J. Dillashaw.
More to the point, ‘The Baddy’ has the entire city of Liverpool behind him, a massive fanbase that could perhaps rival the power that the Irish fanbase had in propelling McGregor to superstardom around a decade ago.
The big question, of course, is whether Pimblett can back up his words inside the octagon. He’s gone 2-0 thus far, but both of his wins came over lower-level opponents and whether he can climb the ladder to the elite level remains to be seen.
However, given his background and his charisma, if he can keep winning, then there’s no doubt that ‘The Baddy’ has the ability to reach McGregor's level of popularity.
#3. Jiri Prochazka – UFC light heavyweight champion
Any fighter wishing to rise to the levels of popularity enjoyed by Conor McGregor obviously needs to make an impact inside the octagon. To that extent, current UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka is already there.
‘Denisa’ debuted in the octagon back in the summer of 2020. After just three fights with the promotion, he’s already managed to claim gold, defeating Glover Teixeira to secure the title once held by superstars like Tito Ortiz, Chuck Liddell and Jon Jones.
The fact that the UFC’s 205-pound division has so much history – it was once seen as the promotion’s ‘glamour division’ thanks to the presence of Ortiz, Liddell and other big names like Randy Couture and Vitor Belfort – means that there will naturally be a spotlight on Prochazka that wouldn’t necessarily be there if he were say, the bantamweight champion.
However, it isn’t just the fact that he’s light heavyweight champion that gives Prochazka a shot at superstardom. The native of the Czech Republic is a remarkably exciting fighter to watch, possessing deadly finishing skills in all areas, and he gives off the reckless air of a man who has unlimited levels of confidence.
More to the point, while English isn’t even his first language, he has incredible levels of charisma and possesses the ability to draw the fans in. His penchant for eccentric behaviour and outlandish hairstyles going some way to helping, too.
Right now, it’s arguable that ‘Denisa’ is the most successful European fighter competing in the octagon. If he can continue on his current path, he could definitely rival or surpass the popularity of ‘The Notorious’.
#2. Israel Adesanya – UFC middleweight champion
Had things gone slightly differently, then there’s definitely a chance that right now, reigning middleweight champ Israel Adesanya and not Conor McGregor would be the biggest star in the UFC.
Essentially, if ‘The Last Stylebender’ had been able to dethrone Jan Blachowicz to win the UFC light heavyweight title, becoming a double champ in the process, then there’s every chance that his achievement would’ve tipped him over the edge, making him the biggest star in MMA.
As it was, Adesanya fell slightly short, meaning that he remains where he was before that bout, on the cusp of true superstardom but needing a couple more big wins to get there.
Given his overall dominance at 185 pounds, there’s every chance that he achieves those wins in the near future. If he can take out Jared Cannonier in dominant fashion, particularly if he stops him, then he’ll have a total of five successful title defenses to his name, pushing him close to legendary status.
Add in the fact that he’s incredible to watch and has both New Zealand and Australia behind him, then it’s easy to see a situation arising that could see him surpass McGregor’s popularity in the near future.
#1. Khamzat Chimaev – UFC welterweight
Of all of the fighters currently on the UFC’s roster, the one whose rise can be compared the closest to that of Conor McGregor is definitely Khamzat Chimaev.
Like McGregor, Chimaev debuted with a bang, taking out his first few opponents in devastating fashion. Also like McGregor, he was quick to talk plenty of trash on basically the entire UFC roster, promising to “smash” whoever the matchmakers put him up against.
Unlike the likes of Sean O’Malley and Paddy Pimblett, though, there are absolutely no questions around the abilities of ‘Borz’ at the elite level. Chimaev blasted through his first ranked opponent, Li Jingliang, with ease in 2021, and most recent'y defeated a former welterweight title challenger in the form of Gilbert Burns.
More importantly, though, the Chechen-born Swede seems to have taken the mantle of the brutal grappler from Eastern Europe that once belonged to former lightweight champ Khabib Nurmagomedov. Prior to his retirement in 2020, ‘The Eagle’ was well on his way to surpassing the popularity of McGregor.
Essentially, Chimaev has the same unstoppable vibe around him that McGregor and Khabib once possessed. If he can continue to win in impressive fashion – and there’s no reason why he can’t – then it seems like only a matter of time before he ascends to the spot of the UFC’s biggest star.
