5 times Conor McGregor successfully got under the skin of his opponents by playing mind games
Conor McGregor is a charismatic trash talker who has redefined the term with his quick-witted responses. While the former two-divison UFC champion might be lambasted for being cocky and arrogant, it is indeed an integral part of his fighting arsenal.
What sets Conor McGregor apart from other trash talkers in the UFC is an element of humor. Instead of being outright mean, McGregor entertains fans with jokes and retorts all at the cost of his rival. Often, the Irishman's legendary trash talk has inhibited his opponents to the point of impacting their performances come fight night.
Ahead of his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, let's take a look at 5 times Conor McGregor successfully got under the skin of his opponents by playing mind games:
#5 Conor McGregor's UFC debut against Marcus Brimage
Conor McGregor was already a star in the Irish MMA scene when he made his UFC debut against Marcus Brimage at UFC on Fuel TV 9. While McGregor certainly capitalized on it, his Irish fans must really take the credit for annoying Brimage.
TUF 14 contestant Marcus Brimage was riding a three-fight win streak when he was matched up against Conor McGregor. Encountering trash talk for the first time in his career, Brimage told MMAJunkie.com:
"Dude, they’re all over my Facebook, talking about how he’s going to whip my ass I’m like, ‘Hey, can’t we be just a little bit more respectful?' I go to my page and put a picture up, and they say, ‘Oh, Conor is going to own your ass'. Dude, you liked my page just to tell me that s—? That’s a lot of trouble to do that. They have officially popped my cherry.”
Conor McGregor realized that Brimage had been upset by the taunting of McGregor's Irish fans, and he sensed his opponent becoming distracted. At the ceremonial square off, McGregor walked up to Brimage with his hands raised and even shoved him with his forehead. Standing inches away from Brimage, 'The Notorious' said:
"Listen, you're nearly 30 years old now [Brimage turned 28 on fight day], I think it's time to stop wearing the superhero mask."
The trash talk definitely seemed out in favor of Conor McGregor as knocked Marcus Brimage out 67 seconds into the opening round.