5 fighters who could replace Conor McGregor as the UFC's poster boy
Conor McGregor remains the UFC's biggest star, but how much longer will that be the case? Given 'The Notorious' hasn't fought since 2021, it feels like time for a change.
Does the UFC have any fighters capable of claiming the mantle and taking Conor McGregor's spot as the promotion's poster boy? Absolutely.
Whether any of them can achieve the stardom of the Irishman and transcend the sport of MMA remains to be seen, of course, but they have the potential.
Here are five fighters who could replace Conor McGregor as the UFC's poster boy.
#5. Ian Machado Garry - UFC welterweight contender
Given that he also hails from Dublin, Ireland, and fights with a precision-based striking style, it's hardly a surprise that Ian Machado Garry has already been compared to Conor McGregor.
There are more parallels between the two Irish fighters, too. Like 'The Notorious', Garry claimed gold in the Cage Warriors promotion before moving up to the UFC in 2021.
And just like McGregor, 'The Future' is more than happy to verbally spar with his opponents, throwing barbs at them while also talking his own skills up.
Can Garry emulate the success of his countryman in the octagon? To this point, it's been so far, so good. 'The Future' is now 8-0 in the promotion, and has climbed up to the No.7 spot at welterweight.
However, unlike McGregor, he hasn't always been that entertaining to watch, with five of his wins going the distance.
Perhaps more importantly, he's been treated as more of an antagonist than protagonist when it comes to his personality, whereas 'The Notorious' was largely popular with fans from the off.
This could change in the future, of course, particularly if Garry faces an unpopular fighter like Colby Covington.
Overall, then, 'The Future' appears to have the skills to make it to the top, and to see him follow in McGregor's path wouldn't be a total surprise, even if he's not quite en route yet.
#4. Khamzat Chimaev - UFC middleweight contender
Two years ago, Khamzat Chimaev probably would've been an easy choice for the top spot on a list like this.
Bursting into the UFC in 2020, Chimaev quickly reeled off three victories in a row, but it wasn't just the nature of his wins that turned him into a star.
Where other Russian-based fighters like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev had always been largely stoic types, 'Borz' had the kind of natural charisma only possessed by real stars like Conor McGregor.
His promise to smash every opponent he faced quickly went viral, and when he broke into the elite level at welterweight by beating Gilbert Burns, it appeared he was destined to become the UFC's next poster boy.
However, since then, nothing has been plain sailing for the Chechnyan fighter.
Chimaev has only fought twice since beating Burns in 2022, and while he's still unbeaten at 13-0, there have been more questions than answers around him.
Can 'Borz' really stay healthy and injury-free for long enough to make a run at the top? And how good is he, really, at 185 pounds?
If he can provide positive answers to both of those questions, then there's definitely a chance of him taking McGregor's spot as the UFC's biggest star. For now, though, he's a bit of a wild card.
#3. Paddy Pimblett - UFC lightweight contender
In terms of being able to draw a crowd reaction and get people talking, the closest fighter in the UFC to Conor McGregor right now is Paddy Pimblett.
'The Baddy' has a remarkable amount of natural charisma, and in every show that he's fought on - particularly in his native UK - he's been the most popular man on the card.
His octagon entrance, which largely incorporates 'Heads Will Roll' by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, gets the live crowd going just like McGregor's 'Foggy Dew' walk-out once did.
Essentially, Pimblett has everything a fighter would need to become the UFC's next poster boy. The only question around him, unfortunately, is when it comes to his actual fighting talent.
McGregor's rise to the top was rapid, but it was as much about his skill in the octagon as it was his charisma. Critics might talk 'The Notorious' down now, but he cut the likes of Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes and Eddie Alvarez down with scary ease in his prime.
Pimblett is still unbeaten in the octagon, but he hasn't fought an elite-level opponent yet. He has impressed in wins over Tony Ferguson and Bobby Green, but whether he can go up against top-level 155-pounders like Michael Chandler and Charles Oliveira is a big question mark.
Based on the evidence we've seen thus far, 'The Baddy' might fall short there, and that means he's unlikely to reach McGregor's status. Until he actually loses, though, he can't be written off.
#2. Alex Pereira - UFC light-heavyweight champion
In terms of actual accomplishments inside the octagon, it's arguable that Alex Pereira has already equaled, if not surpassed, Conor McGregor.
'The Notorious' became the UFC's first simultaneous double champion in 2016, something Pereira cannot boast.
However, 'Poatan' is a double champion, winning middleweight gold in 2022 and the light-heavyweight title in 2023. And unlike McGregor, he's already defended his 205-pound title successfully on two occasions.
The Brazilian kickboxing legend's rise to the top of the promotion has been a rapid one. It took him just over a year from his debut to capture his first title, something even McGregor didn't manage, and he's already beaten the last three fighters to hold the title at 205 pounds.
More to the point, Pereira has been positioned as one of the UFC's top stars for some time now and is definitely amongst the most popular fighters on the roster.
However, where he differs from 'The Notorious' is that he largely does his talking in the octagon. 'Poatan' is not a trash talker by any means, and he's more stoic than charismatic.
His incredible knockouts make him popular with fans, but the chances of him transcending MMA don't seem too high.
Can Pereira become the biggest star in the sport? It's possible, if only because he looks unstoppable right now. But in terms of star power, it's more likely that he'll emulate his countryman, Anderson Silva, than McGregor.
#1. Sean O'Malley - UFC bantamweight champion
When all things are considered, right now it feels like the fighter best positioned to usurp Conor McGregor's spot as the UFC's biggest star is Sean O'Malley.
'Sugar' was long considered a potential superstar by the promotion, being offered the spotlight right after his appearance on Dana White's Contender Series back in 2017. It's fair to say that he's capitalized on every opportunity he's been given.
Since his debut, O'Malley has gone 10-1 in the octagon with one No Contest and plotted his trajectory up the ladder perfectly. He started by beating overmatched foes, slowly took on better opponents, and everything culminated in his bantamweight title win over Aljamain Sterling last year.
That win was, in fact, reminiscent of McGregor's famous knockout of Jose Aldo back in 2015 - a one-punch kill shot to end the long title reign of a highly respected champion. Unsurprisingly, it instantly went viral across the world.
The comparisons to 'The Notorious' don't end there, though. Like McGregor, O'Malley's fighting style is built around a sniping, powerful counterstriking game. And like the Irishman, 'Sugar' uses feints and taunts to draw his foes into making mistakes he can capitalize on.
Outside the octagon, O'Malley doesn't quite have the trash-talking skills of McGregor, but he's certainly outspoken in his own way, and he definitely draws attention like the Irishman.
So can O'Malley grasp the mantle that looks like it's going to be vacated by McGregor and become the UFC's biggest star? There's no reason why he can't, and if he can successfully defend his title against Merab Dvalishvili next month, he should be just about there.