Body langage analysis: Did Conor McGregor look nervous during his UFC 257 walkout?

Conor McGregor (*Image courtesy: BT Sport)
Conor McGregor (*Image courtesy: BT Sport)

It is hard to tell if Conor McGregor looked nervous during his UFC 257 walkout.


Body language analysis: Did Conor McGregor look nervous during his UFC 257 walkout?

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No, he wasn’t! Yes, he was!

The combat sports world is currently divided as to whether Conor McGregor was nervous during his UFC 257 walkout.

On the one hand, certain fans and experts believe that The Notorious One looked like his usual self, the ‘Zen’ martial arts practitioner who’s supremely focused and strictly unemotional on fight night.

On the other hand, some fans and experts have asserted that Conor McGregor looked nothing like the ‘Zen’ fighter whom his fans have known over the years. They claim that McGregor appeared to be quite distracted, overcome with emotion, and too nervous.

Conor McGregor looked like his usual self during his UFC 257 walkout

Conor McGregor came out to his signature iconic walkout music that's a combination of the following three famous songs: The Foggy Dew by Sinead O'Connor and The Chieftains, Notorious by Duran Duran, Hypnotize by Notorious B.I.G.

Now, you can watch Conor McGregor's UFC 257 walkout video after we're done with our discussion, or perhaps you've already watched it. Either way, you'd notice that McGregor didn't greet the camera with his trademark scary smile – something he would do multiple times during his entrance in many past fights. McGregor usually looks right into the camera during his entrance and gives a somewhat intimidating grin.

Well, many in the combat sports community have pointed out this fact as a sign that Conor McGregor has lost his killer instinct and let nervousness take over during his UFC 257 walkout.

In this writer's opinion, this analysis couldn't be further from the truth (no pun intended). Conor McGregor was equally nonchalant yet confident during his previous fight's walkout – at UFC 246 in January 2020 for his welterweight bout against Donald' Cowboy' Cerrone, whom he defeated via first-round TKO.

Furthermore, Conor McGregor's UFC 257 walkout did see him smile, just not going out of the way and looking directly into the camera. McGregor smiled, hopped, and acknowledged the fans. The combat sports megastar made confident gestures towards his friends, family, and acquaintances, as he marched down to the octagon with the Irish flag flying high above his shoulders.

Conor McGregor is confidence personified

Conor McGregor looked as confident as one could be right from when he got out of his locker room to the time he struck his signature pose while Bruce Buffer made the fighter introductions inside the octagon.

Furthermore, Conor McGregor deserves everyone’s respect for the classy and composed manner in which he conducted himself after losing to Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.

Nervous? No. Confident? Yes!

I genuinely believe that Conor McGregor looked like his usual confident self during the UFC 257 walkout. What do you think? Sound off in the comments!

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