Conor McGregor is getting to live out his dreams in the fight game.
There is no denying that McGregor has taken more than a few verbal, lifestyle and theatrical cues from Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather.
The UFC lightweight champion has long been a student of combat sports. He has lived and breathed it from his teenage years through some dark, financially tight days in his 20s to where he is right now – a multi-millionaire world champion.
Ever since he dethroned José Aldo in late 2015, McGregor has been on top of the Mixed Martial Arts world and able to call the shots, and fights.
He accepted a short-notice fight against Nate Diaz, lost, won the rematch and then beat Eddie Alvarez to add the 155lbs belt to the featherweight strap he wrenched from Aldo. There has been talk of another super-fight in the near future, against Georges St-Pierre, and it is clear to see McGregor getting to do all he could only once dream of.
There has been disparaging talk that his professional boxing debut against Mayweather is a crass money-grab but, for McGregor at least, there is more to it.
His coaches and training partners will back him up on his claim that he truly believes the 49-0 Mayweather can be defeated, and that he is the man to do it. For McGregor, there is a degree of idolisation here but it will not hold him back once he is in the ring.
Looking back on old McGregor tweets about Mayweather, one can see that even he doubted ‘Money’ could stay undefeated as he passed his mid 30s and headed towards 40. Still, he couldn’t call again him.
“@scarf1982: @TheNotoriousMMA Mayweather or Canelo or have you any interest? #AskNotorious” Mayweather.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) September 7, 2013
https://twitter.com/TheNotoriousMMA/status/379068802064863232
Canelo Alvarez could not get the job done and Mayweather marched on.
McGregor was, all the while, writing his own story in the MMA world. Ahead of what he believed would be his main event against Aldo at UFC 189 (he would eventually fight and defeat stand-in Chad Mendes), the Dubliner had Mayweather on his mind.
My first time headlining the MGM will enter in at No.33 in the highest MGM gates. Higher than Mayweather/Marquez and just below Tyson/Botha.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 3, 2015
On the same night, McGregor gave his succinct thoughts on Mayweather easily defeating Manny Pacquaio in their much-anticipated fight. His comments were interesting but many would have dismissed his final sentence as pure, wishful chatter.
That felt more like a business transaction than a fight. Respect to Floyd though. Boxing is not the style of fighting to stop him.
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 3, 2015
Even back then, McGregor was looking at the boxing great and trying to pick holes in his game.
As we all now know, ‘The Notorious’ will take Mayweather on in Vegas on August 26. Boxing may not be the style of fighting to stop the American but that’s all McGregor has. He will have to make do.
In the past, McGregor has taken down tweets about retirement announcement updates and a particularly derogatory one about Dennis Siver but we hope the old Mayweather posts stay up there, and out there.
There is a certain degree of admiration, but that undertone of wanting to surpass the greatest boxer of his generation is definitely there.
