More respects need to be put on the name of Conor McGregor, or at least that’s what fellow Irish star Katie Taylor thinks.
Taylor Compares McGregor To Muhammad Ali
Taylor and McGregor are both household names when it comes to fighting in Ireland. ‘The Bray Bomber’ has done amazing in the boxing ring, holding world titles in two weight divisions. The UFC’s supernova, McGregor, has accomplished the same feat inside the Octagon.
Despite his past resume, Taylor believes the Irishman should be getting more praise from his home country.
“I messaged him after the Dustin Poirier fight, just to offer some words of encouragement really,” Taylor said on The MMA Hour. “He’s always been a fantastic support to me, but I think he’s just someone who’s actually transcended the sport. He’s like, for me, the Muhammad Ali of the UFC. He’s just a fantastic athlete. A great businessman as well. But what he’s done in the sport and the UFC has been absolutely incredible, and I don’t think he’s celebrated as much as he should be here in Ireland. I think he is an absolute global superstar and just a phenomenal athlete. He’s always been a complete gentleman towards me.
“I know that he’s trained at Crumlin Boxing Club an awful lot, a place where I actually trained on a regular occasion as an amateur boxer as well. I used to go there on a regular occasion for sparring sessions, so that’s obviously a connection that we have.”
Comparing Muhammad Ali to Conor McGregor didn’t just come out of anywhere from Taylor. While McGregor may have lost 3 out of his last 4 fights, it is hard to argue against what ‘The Notorious’ has done for the sport.
‘Transcending The Sport’
Nobody has came to close to raking in the views or the money McGregor has brought in for the company. In 2021, the UFC did a total of 8.5M pay-per-views. The former dual-weight UFC Champion did 38% of those buys in just two fights, getting 3.2M PPV buys.
Taylor doesn’t just see McGregor as an underappreciated superstar, she also sees him as a great athlete.
“I just think he’s had a few controversial moments outside of the cage as well that people obviously didn’t appreciate,” Taylor said.
“But I’m looking at him as just a phenomenal athlete, and someone who I generally think has transcended the sport, someone who’s become bigger than the sport. Nearly every time he does fight, it’s an absolute huge event. He still gets the highest number of pay-per-view figures and he’s still the highest-paid athlete in the UFC. I just look at him as just an outstanding athlete, and I can’t wait to see him come back.”
Conor McGregor being the ‘phenomenal athlete’ he is, is currently on the road to recovery from his broken leg last July. The Irishman is targeting a summer return in the UFC.
