'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Jon Jones' manager, Malki Kawa, acknowledges that Conor McGregor is one of the most underrated fighters in the UFC.
The CEO of 'First Round Management' retweeted this video from ESPN MMA where Ariel Helwani stated that Conor McGregor "does not get the credit he deserves". Malki Kawa concurred with Helwani by captioning his tweet, "This is very true."
Why is Conor McGregor underrated according to Ariel Helwani and Daniel Cormier?
Ariel Helwani believes that the skillset of Conor McGregor is highly underestimated. Barring all the commotion that surrounds the buildup to a Conor McGregor fight, Helwani believes that 'The Notorious One' is seriously underrated.
"If you strip away everything, just talking about the fighter, I am not talking about the lay-offs, not talking about the controversies, not talking about the fame, just the fighter... I think that Conor McGregor is one of the most underrated fighters in the history of this sport. He does not get the credit that he deserves for how good he is. As a fighter, not the hoopla. I'm just talking about his skills.", said Ariel Helwani on his show, 'DC & Helwani'.
Co-host Daniel Cormier also noted that Conor McGregor does not get enough praise for his diverse skillset. DC stated that it would be wrong to attribute the Irishman's success to his pre-fight verbal attacks on his opponents.
"Because of everything that comes with Conor McGregor, they'll think you're crazy for calling him underrated. But I do believe to a degree, people don't understand how skilled this young man is", said Daniel Cormier.
Daniel Cormier also recognizes the fact that Conor McGregor has been one of the toughest opponents that Khabib Nurmagomedov has ever faced. According to DC, Nurmagomedov had to dig deeper to take McGregor down during their fight at UFC 229. DC applauded the refinements that McGregor has been able to bring into his game, to prove how great a mixed martial artist he is.
Conor McGregor has certainly played a crucial role in UFC's success in the past decade. His pre-fight antics and verbal jibes have been his trademarks, but so have his performances over the years.
The Irishman has mostly been able to back-up whatever he says, which is a rare sight in combat sports. DC and Helwani's comments, along with his record, validate that Conor McGregor is certainly one of the most skilled fighters in the UFC.
