4 times Conor McGregor got owned in trash talking
Conor McGregor is arguably the greatest trash talker in UFC and MMA history. Using his mental warfare to get into the heads of exceptional fighters like Jose Aldo and Eddie Alvarez, he became the first simultaneous two-division champion in the UFC.
McGregor's career path has nosedived since then, with losses to Dustin Poirier (twice) and Khabib Nurmagomedov putting a dampener on the resume of a man who blazed a path for the UFC and its fighters. While he remains the marquee name in the UFC and an excellent promoter of fights, he's seen a few opponents hold their own as far as trash talking is concerned in the recent past.
Here are four times Conor McGregor got owned in trash talking.
#4 Conor McGregor vs Floyd Mayweather - "That's all you're worth!"
The boxing bout between Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor had one of the greatest build-ups of all time, with several press tours and conferences giving fans an incredible sense of hype about the contest.
While McGregor was at his imperious best in the pre-fight trash talk, Mayweather was content to keep quiet for the most part while throwing the occasional jab (no pun intended). 'Money' had one of his best moments when he decided to rile the Irishman up by tossing a wad of cash into the air.
Mayweather first pointed out that McGregor had been submitted on numerous occasions, labeling him "a b*tch", "a quitter" and "easy work". He went onto rain down bills on 'The Notorious', who attempted to give back by pointing out that they were one-dollar notes and asking where the real money was at. Mayweather replied by saying that was all McGregor was worth.
It was one of the rare occasions a fighter has been able to get one over McGregor, and the message was clear. While McGregor was - and still is - the biggest draw in the UFC, the world of boxing and Mayweather had way more lucrative appeal.
#3 Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov - "Let's talk!"
Which instance do we name for Khabib Nurmagomedov owning Conor McGregor in the build-up to their meeting at UFC 229? It's tough to pick one, so we instead go with what happened during their fight.
As McGregor attacked race, religion, family, traditions and almost every other thing Khabib held dear to his heart, 'The Eagle' had a resolute look of determination on his face and refrained from taking things too seriously. When the two entered the octagon, though, Khabib was more than willing to engage in verbal - and physical, of course - combat.
As Khabib rained down ground-and-pound, he implored McGregor to talk. The Irishman appeared to insist that his antics had been in the name of business, cutting an underwhelming figure after all he had said outside the cage.
#2 Conor McGregor vs Nate Diaz - "I'm not surprised!"
Nate Diaz has never been one to be intimidated by trash talk. Despite Conor McGregor being in his absolute prime while facing off against Diaz, the Stockton native held his composure and pulled off a famous upset in their first meeting.
McGregor had his moments in pre-fight press conferences, but Diaz turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to everything 'The Notorious' had to say. Eventually, after choking McGregor out, Diaz delivered the most telling blow of the whole saga.
"Ay, I'm not surprised, m*****f*****s," he exclaimed in response to Joe Rogan's claim that he shook up the world, drawing the applause of the people in attendance. We've become used to McGregor giving us tidbits of post-fight gold, but the roles were completely reversed at UFC 196.
#1 Conor McGregor vs Dustin Poirier - "McGregor Sleep"
After brutalizing Conor McGregor's leg with kicks and becoming the first man to knock him out in professional MMA competition, Dustin Poirier entered the trilogy as the favorite. Ahead of the fight, as McGregor resumed trash-talking activities after taking a hiatus for the second meeting, Poirier appeared calm and confident.
Fans have claimed that McGregor's verbal warfare was forced and unnatural. And while he produced a few memorable moments, Poirier hogged the limelight for a cheeky comment. 'The Diamond' took a dig at McGregor's training program McGregor Fast, alluding to his knockout loss and saying it should be named McGregor Sleep instead.
The line would've been infinitely better had Poirier chosen to play on 'fast asleep', as he later admitted, but McGregor didn't have a trademark witty response to the comment.