5 Best Conor McGregor UFC fights

Conor McGregor is, without a doubt, the biggest combat sports star on the planet right now.

His ascent up the rankings in the UFC, where he claimed gold in two divisions, as well as last year’s money-spinning boxing bout with Floyd Mayweather, have transformed the Irishman from relative unknown to household name in just a few short years.

Such has been the rapid nature of McGregor’s meteoric rise, it’s easy to forget that not long ago the Irishman's name was practically unknown outside the European MMA scene.

Here, we take a look at the 5 UFC fights that made him the megastar he is today…

#1 Dustin Poirier

After putting himself on the featherweight map with victories in his first three UFC contests, McGregor was handed his first real test in Dustin Poirier at UFC 178.

In the lead up to the bout, McGregor ratcheted up the trash-talk to get under the skin of his rival, and the SBG fighter consistently predicted a first-round knockout – which he duly delivered.

The ‘Notorious One’ came out swinging right off the bat, opening his attack with a lead hook kick, which gave an indication as to how confident McGregor was feeling.

The Dubliner stalked his opponent, who was on the back foot immediately, and a couple minutes into the contest McGregor caught Poirier with a straight left behind the ear. The punch dropped the American, and that was all he wrote as McGregor pounced, ending the bout clinically with hammerfists.

McGregor had truly arrived, and featherweight had a new contender. His “mystic Mac” persona was also born, as he’d made good on his prediction of a first-round finish.