Daniel Cormier believes Conor McGregor deserves credit for turning his opponents into superstars.
McGregor is a star like no other. Responsible for five of the ten highest-grossing UFC pay-per-view events in the promotion’s 30-year history, ‘The Notorious’ has already carved out a legendary career that will likely never be outdone, from a financial perspective anyway. As we approach the 10th anniversary of McGregor’s UFC debut, another former two-division champion is looking back on the Irishman’s iconic career thus far.
Daniel Cormier revisited Conor McGregor’s legacy over the last decade and noted that not only does ‘The Notorious’ continue to be one of the biggest names in combat sports history, but he also raises the stock of the men he competes with.
“He has elevated two of my best friends,” Cormier said on his ESPN show “DC & RC.” “Two of the guys that I love, that I appreciate in this sport more than anyone. He has elevated Khabib (Nurmagomedov) to a megastar, and he has elevated Dustin Poirier to a level of stardom that Dustin never could’ve imagined getting before. So not only does he help himself, he helps the guys that he shares the octagon with – especially the ones that can beat him.”
Daniel Cormier Says UFC 194 Was the Night Conor McGregor Became a Megastar
Daniel Cormier believes McGregor’s incredible rise to the top can be primarily attributed to his iconic 13-second knockout of featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo at UFC 194.
“In the Aldo fight, for all we knew about Jose Aldo, the greatness, how annoyed he was with Conor McGregor – we thought he was going to punish the brash Irishman,” Cormier said. “And then he knocked him out in 14 (13) seconds and the world was turned on its axis, and the world really became his in that night. On that night, it was Conor McGregor’s world.”
Less than a year after defeating Aldo for the 145-pound title, McGregor made history by capturing the UFC lightweight championship, knocking out then-titleholder Eddie Alvarez in the second round of their UFC 205 clash.
McGregor is slated for a return to the Octagon later this year following a stint on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter. Coaching opposite high-octane lightweight fighter Michael Chandler, the two are expected to step inside the cage for a can’t-miss clash this fall.
Transcription by MMA Junkie
