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Conor McGregor is by far the biggest name in the world of MMA. Like him or hate him, he certainly cannot be ignored.
Conor has always been in the news for his raucous behavior.
Outside the cage, he recently made headlines for punching an Italian DJ. Conor was in Rome for his son's christening when he allegedly hit DJ Francesco Facchinetti at a party.
That wasn't the first time the Irish fighter found himself amidst controversy. Last month, the Irishman was involved in an altercation with popular rapper Machine Gun Kelly at the MTV VMAs. In 2019, news of McGregor hitting an old man at a pub in Dublin surfaced.
Inside the cage, Conor is undoubtedly one of the best trash-talkers in the business. The war of words leading up to his fight with former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is still fresh in fans' minds. Even after the bout, Conor continued to engage with Khabib on social media.
Despite being known for trash talk, there have also been moments when Conor McGregor was humble with his opponents.
On that note, here are five occasions when 'The Notorious' showed his humble side to the world.
#5. After Conor McGregor's loss to Floyd Mayweather
Conor McGregor faced boxing legend Floyd Mayweather in August 2017. The build-up to the 'money fight' was filled with hostile press conferences where the two fighters verbally jabbed at each other. The stage was set for a high-intensity bout.
Mayweather emerged victorious and capped off his splendid professional career with a 50-0 record. Fans were surprised to see Conor McGregor's humility after the defeat. Reflecting on his performance, the Irishman cited his lack of stamina to withstand 12 rounds as the primary reason behind his loss.
He even went a step further, congratulating Floyd Mayweather on the victory. McGregor also called him "a heck of a boxer."
“Congrats to Floyd on a well fought match. Very experienced and methodical in his work. I wish him well in retirement. He is a heck of a boxer. His experience, his patience and his endurance won him this fight hands down.”
Watch the post-event press conference below:
#4. With Dustin Poirier at UFC 257
Unlike UFC 264, where fans got to see the bad blood between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor, things were quite different in their previous encounter at UFC 257. The build-up to fights is usually colored with trash talk and mind games. However, at UFC 257, there was nothing but respect between the two.
Conor McGregor was full of praise for Dustin at the pre-fight press conference. Answering a question from the audience on his motivation to train hard for the contest, McGregor said:
"My love for the game, my love for competition, my love for combat, and, you know, Dustin has put on an incredible run since our last fight. It’s been a long time coming. Yes, I did get one over him the first time, but you know, he’s rose right up and he’s back up there at the top of the division. So I’m excited to go on and compete with him again."
Watch the pre-UFC 257 press conference below:
At the weigh-in ahead of UFC 257, Conor McGregor did something unlikely. Not only was he friendly, but he also posed with 'The Diamond'. Dustin Poirier, on his part, handed McGregor a bottle of his Poirier's Louisiana Style hot sauce. It was a rare occasion of a respectful rivalry between two fighters.
Conor McGregor suffered the first TKO loss of his career against Dustin Poirier at UFC 257.
#3. With Donald Cerrone at UFC 246
Conor McGregor faced Donald Cerrone at UFC 246 on 18 January 2020 at the T-Mobile Arena in Nevada. McGregor was in a wholly different mood at the pre-fight press conference, contrary to his reputation as a trash talker.
He kicked off the presser in a light-hearted manner, praising Cerrone's outfit.
"That's one hell of a coat Donald, I've got to give credit where credit is due! I don't know whether you've outdone me here, I've got lining on the inside of my baby here but that's a damn good coat brother. Is it crocodile?"
Watch the video below:
Things had got toxic in his previous octagon outing - against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. McGregor had issued several derogatory remarks about the Dagestani, especially targeting his religion, family and beliefs.
However, he was a changed man at the UFC 246 press conference. He spoke highly of Donald Cerrone, who he said was "hard not to respect."
Although Conor promised a stiff contest with Donald, he assured there wasn't any bad blood between them.
"There will be blood spilled on Saturday, but it won't be bad blood."
The Irishman's words rang true; blood was spilled in their fight. Conor McGregor broke Donald Cerrone's nose early in the first round, courtesy of some unorthodox shoulder strikes. The Irishman then secured the win with a head kick followed by ground and pound.
Watch the full fight below:
#2. After loss to Nate Diaz at UFC 196
The rivalry shared by Conor McGregor and Nate Diaz has been one of the highlights of the UFC. The two fighters met each other for the first time at UFC 196. McGregor came into the bout on a 15-fight winning streak.
However, Diaz forced McGregor to submit with a rear-naked choke, leading to one of the biggest turnarounds in MMA history.
After an unexpected loss like that, it is rare to see a fighter being humble and gracious. However, McGregor showed humility in defeat.
Speaking to Fox Sports, Conor admitted to losing his nerve and giving away the fight. He was also quick to congratulate Nate Diaz on his win.
"I misinterpreted his [Nate Diaz's] efficiency. He was very efficient and he took shots well. Played with his energy well, whereas I didn't. I blew out, he did not. Certainly, I felt that I hurt him many times in the fight. I abandoned the body shots. The body shots were doing damage but he hit me with one or two shots to the body and I avoided his body then after that."
Check out Conor McGregor's post-fight interview below:
#1. Conor McGregor's retirement message for Khabib Nurmagomedov
Former UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov faced Justin Gaethje at UFC 254 in October 2020. It was Khabib's last fight in the UFC, following the demise of his father, Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. Nurmagomedov won the encounter via TKO and, in a shocking move, announced his retirement from MMA. Speaking after the fight, Khabib said:
"It was first time after what happened with my father. When UFC called me with Justin, I talked with my mother three days. She don't [want me] to go fight without father, but I promised her it's gonna be my last fight. And if I give my word, I have to follow this."
As messages poured in from all quarters, there was one that surprised the whole world. It was from Khabib's rival, Conor McGregor. The Irishman took to Twitter to congratulate Nurmagomedov and offer his condolences for the loss of his father.
Considering how ugly things had got between them during their iconic clash, it was an astonishing gesture from Conor McGregor.
