5 things Conor McGregor has to do to win back the love of the MMA world
In 2016 'The Notorious' Conor McGregor had the whole world in the palm of his hand as he hoisted two UFC belts at Madison Square Garden.
A box office attraction to his sport at the level of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in boxing, Conor McGregor was reaching heights no UFC fighter before had seen.
Fast forward to 2021, and much has changed.
After being stripped of both belts and losing a boxing match to Mayweather, he submitted to then-UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a highly volatile feud.
The Irishman retired numerous times, had many run-ins with the law, and recently lost to Dustin Poirier twice, both by TKO.
Although Conor McGregor has become Forbes' highest-paid athlete, much of his fans' trust and love was gone.
Seeing as how Conor will have time to regroup and take his time to work on his craft, he is in the perfect position to restart his connection with MMA fans.
Whether it is handling some old business that many fans want to see or fighting certain names, the Irishman needs to regain his aura.
On that note, here's a look at five things Conor McGregor can do to get that love back:
#5. Conor McGregor must remain a villain
At his recent loss at UFC 264, Conor McGregor gave us a side of himself that we haven't seen in a very long time. 'The Notorious' was back.
It was a welcoming sight for many of his fans as they grew to love the bravado and aggressiveness that the Irish superstar had shown us during his peak run.
Between his two fights against Donald 'Cowboy' Cerrone and Dustin 'The Diamond' Poirier, Conor McGregor showed a more humble and respectful side to him.
But after tasting defeat at the hands of Poirier via TKO from punches, he reverted to his best-known self of villainy, and the fans loved it.
That's what made Conor McGregor so big. His arrogance, trash-talking methods, and brash attitude catapulted the Irishman to superstardom.
He showed a level of charm to back it up too, where he was throwing facts to go along with his threats and insults.