There are some fighters who have spent entire careers with the UFC who have not amassed highlight reels as impressive as our own Conor McGregor.
The last time "The Notorious" has fought outside the world's premier mixed martial arts promotion was exactly two years ago this week and we've had a look at how Mr McGregor has matured into the most talked about fighter in the UFC today.
December 31, 2012 - Dublin, Ireland
Conor McGregor is set to take on Ivan Buchinger for the Cage Warriors' lightweight championship. Just six months earlier, the then-23-year-old had secured the promotions' featherweight strap with a rear-naked choke in the second round.
But now the time had arrived for McGregor to cement himself as the cream of the crop in homegrown MMA talent by becoming the first Irishman to hold a championship belt in two separate weight divisions.
And the Dub didn't disappoint in front of a home crowd. He showed just how far ahead he was in the striking game in Ireland, using his left hand like a paintbrush en route to a first round KO of his Slovakian opponent (who until that point had been finished just once in his MMA career).
It was a pinpoint left straight that earned McGregor his second world title in six months and put him on the radar of UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obgm6JNtyVo
April 6, 2013 - Stockholm, Sweden
McGregor had been given his chance to prove himself on the world stage when he was matched up against Marcus Brimage at UFC on Fuel TV 9 - Mousasi v Latifi.
The Irishman needed just over a minute to make the MMA world say "hang on a minute, who's this lad?" after he put on a striking masterclass against The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 vet Brimage who was known for his heavy hands.
Uppercuts, front kicks, capoeira - and all in just 67 seconds as he earned Knockout of the Night.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpAC2JOJiXM
It was perhaps McGregor's post-fight interviews that are the most memorable aspect of his UFC debut as the featherweight sensation proved that he had the skills on the mic to go along with his talent on the mat.
One of the many highlights of the interview include the hilarious soundbite: “I feel like I’m stealing the show, I feel like I’ve stole the show, I’ve stole everything. I’m going to steal all the money from the UFC and hightail it back to Ireland. F**k the recession!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WhZrsom3us
Video via @SevereMMA YouTube/SevereArt
August 17, 2o13 - Boston, MA
After moving through Brimage with zero difficulty, McGregor was tasked with a bout against highly touted Hawaiian prospect Max Holloway who, at that stage, was 3-2 with the promotion but was thought to be a much bigger test for McGregor.
Possibly the most-talked about element of the fight was Conor's walkout to the TD Garden arena during which the lights were dimmed (something that's usually reserved for title fights and sometimes not even then). The Irish hardcore who stayed up to watch the fight came together as one in goosebumpy glory when Sinead O'Connor's voice pierced the beer-fuelled Boston arena and the bearded 145lber came into view.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Em7oepIguiQ
The fight itself was marred by an injury to Conor's knee that forced him to revert to a less risky gameplan - wrestling.
McGregor revealed after the fight that he wanted to continue showing off his stellar striking against Holloway, saying: "I wanted to stand up all the way, he caught my leg in an awkward position my leg was wobbly when I got up. You live and you learn."
The injury looked to be a blessing in disguise as McGregor went on to display a well-rounded MMA game, scoring takedowns like they were going out of fashion and moving like water on the ground on his way to a dominant 30-27, 30-27, 30-26 decision victory.
The knee injury would halt the rocketlike ascent of McGregor in the featherweight division, however, as a torn ACL would keep the Irishman out of the octagon for almost a year.
July 19, 2014 - Dublin, Ireland
But when he returned, McGregor did it in showstopping style. As Ireland finally got on board with this "new" phenomenon called MMA, with those who believed it to be overly barbaric or too similar to WWE being convinced as to the legitimacy of the sport, the UFC announced that McGregor's next fight with the promotion would be on home soil.
The UFC was painted green as tickets for the event sold out in record time when it was revealed that Conor was coming home ... And that he would't be fighting alone.
Cathal Pendred, Paddy Holohan, Neil Seery, Norman Parke and honorary Irishman Gunnar Nelson were all given slots on the card and they piled the pressure on McGregor going 5-0 in favour of the Irish contingent.
After the Brazilian power-puncher Diego Brandao walked out to the octagon, the fans realised that it could all go pear-shaped. Conor was returning from a long layoff, he was facing a change of opponent from the largely fading Cole Miller to the young, impassioned Diego Brandao and he had the very tangible pressure of an entire nation hanging over him.
Then the drums started.
"The Foggy Dew" roared out as the tricolour vibrated on McGregor's back with the sheer volume of the crowd.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CmpZeEu3vB4
But McGregor ate that pressure, turned it into some weird kind of fighting fuel and made Diego Brandao look decidedly average.
The finish looked uncannilly like the one that "The Notorious" recorded the last time he fought on Irish soil, against Ivan Buchinger after putting his opponent down with a laser-like straight left over the top.
The hype train kept on rolling and, before anyone could notice, McGregor had risen to 15-2 in his burgeoning MMA career.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQiG_9yUOA4
September 27, 2014 - Las Vegas, NV
The lengthy lack of octagon action clearly got to McGregor as he didn't mess about in returning to the cage, this time having just over two months off before taking on top 5 contender Dustin Poirier at UFC 178.
McGregor eloquently described how he would deal with the American, who was on a three-fight win streak, by saying he planned to "whoop Dustin Poirier's ass" in the first round.
He's many things but one thing you can't call "The Notorious" is a liar as he required just over 90 seconds to dismantle the American Top Team featherweight.
McGregor used his typically flashy style to set up the finish, putting together combinations of spinning kicks before clipping Poirier with a a punch who face-planted on the canvas and after a series of "make sure the referee sees this" strikes, the fight was waved off.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDEIG3cu-ac
McGregor explained what he foresaw as his next step in the UFC, saying: "You know what’s next. That world title is next. I’m gonna fly to Brazil if they want. I’ll eliminate Chad ‘Mini’ Mendez (featherweight fighter) and step in and give the fans what they want — [Jose] Aldo versus McGregor. Or you know we could come back and fill that football stadium [the Aviva]. Come on over, we’ll whoop them on home soil or away soil. It’s no problem.”
January 2 2015
With the New Year upon us, Conor McGregor is just two weeks away from his return to Boston for a January 18 meeting with Dennis Siver. Presuming McGregor comes through this test,
a title shot is right in front of him. Possibly in Ireland, POSSIBLY IN CROKE PARK. According to King Conor, himself, "2015 will be my year."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPK8UyqDCTo
