Conor McGregor: “I am pound for pound the best fighter on the planet”

Rarely has the sporting world seen a meteoric rise like that of Conor McGregor since his debut with the UFC in 2013.

The Irishman’s brash disposition combined with his penchant for knocking out his opponents has rocketed him from relative obscurity to outright superstardom in an incredibly short space of time.

But is the 26-year-old from Crumlin really as cocky as his public persona would lead us to believe?

“I am humble to those who know me. I am arrogant to those who doubt me. And I am ruthless to those who fight me”, McGregor wrote this week in his column for the Irish Independent. “There is no act. This is who I am.”

Act or not, the Straight Blast Gym representative is certainly not shy when it comes to discussing his accomplishments.

“At 26 years of age I hold every record in my game. Highest gates. Highest viewing figures. And on July 11th, highest PPV numbers in the UFC. At 26 years of age, I own my game. I hold the record for the biggest Vegas gate in the UFC, a bigger gate than Floyd Mayweather drew for his comeback fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in 2009.

“And he was in his prime, 40 and zero at the time. Floyd and Manny fought recently for a purse of over $200 million. I am aiming high. And when I take aim, I hit the target every time. The sky is the limit for me and I know it. And I will let it be known every chance I get.”

McGregor’s rapid ascent to fame means he has inevitably picked up his fair share of ‘haters’ along the way, but he insists that his unwavering self-belief makes him impervious to the negativity.

“There has been a lot of bitterness out there toward me. Some say I’m overhyped, that I will fail,” McGregor writes. “I simply choose to leave the bitterness behind. As I said before I will wipe away the tears with my money.”

As much as he is obsessed with the art of combat and human movement, The Notorious makes no bones about the fact that he is driven by money.

“The money motivates me,” he admits. “I want to make sure that my kids and my kids’ kids are able to live a good life.”

Between his fight purse, his lucrative Reebok sponsorship, and his cut of the PPV sales, McGregor will not be short of cash come his title fight against Jose Aldo in July. And McGregor is, of course, confident of victory as always.

“I step into the octagon to destroy Jose Aldo on July 11… Aldo will crumble under the energy. I will taste gold once again.”

Public and professional opinion is divided on whether McGregor has what it takes to dethrone Aldo. Win, lose, or draw, though, we can expect to see Conor McGregor in the UFC for some time to come.

“I can do things that nobody has ever done before. I am different. I am pound for pound the best fighter on the planet. And I will prove it in two months’ time when I become champion of the world for the third time. This story is only just beginning. And it is going to run and run.”