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5th October 2018
06:54pm BST
Since first entering the Octagon in 2013, Conor McGregor has gone from strength to strength, and has cemented his legacy as the greatest star to ever grace mixed-martial-arts.
His mental game is leap years ahead of anybody else.
A lot of his fights have been won before a punch is even thrown, simply because the SBG fighter has been able to get into their heads.
Just ask Jose Aldo, or Eddie Alvarez.
Both champions where a shell of their dominant selves when they faced McGregor.
His ability to get into his opponent's heads, coupled with his rapid rise to stardom has cause many to compare the Crumlin man to one Muhammad Ali, for many the greatest athlete to ever live.
Ali was light years ahead when it came to selling a fight and promoting himself, indeed no-one ever came close until Conor McGregor entered the MMA scene, so it is easy to see where the comparison comes from.
Just this week, UFC president Dana White made the comparison between the two once again when talking to Dan Hardy for BT Sport.
"I hate to always do this because you don't want to compare people to Ali, because he's Ali. "But Conor is very Ali like, and I think he's even better than Muhammad Ali at the mental warfare game. "He's as good as Ali at hyping up interest in whatever he's doing, whether it's fighting or selling whiskey."
The comparison was put to McGregor last night, and the Dublin man showed his humble side when addressing it, citing that he could never be placed in the same category as someone so great.
It was a side to McGregor we so seldom see, but one that is sure to have endeared him to anyone watching.
"He's saying about Muhammad Ali and the mental warfare, I respect that and appreciate that but... Muhammad Ali is a special special individual.
"I do not, I am not even close to that man's greatness. The things he done throughout his career, he is a special individual and to even have my name next to that man is like, a truly truly proud moment for me. "So, thank you all, but I cannot compare myself to that great man."In a week where he headlines the biggest fight of the year that will bag him a tasty €50 million, it is great to see the human side to McGregor.
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