"He paved the way for where we are now" - UFC bantamweight Johnny Munoz on taking inspiration from Conor McGregor's success
UFC bantamweight Johnny Munoz is set to compete against Jamey Simmons at UFC 265 in August. The 10-1 prospect has revealed that Conor McGregor is part of the inspiration that serves as a driving force for him to compete in a sport as volatile and dangerous as MMA.
In a recent Sportskeeda MMA exclusive, Munoz spoke with Andrew Whitelaw about McGregor and the impact that the Irishman has had on the sport of mixed martial arts. He stated that:
"For me, I'm a Conor fan. I enjoyed his upbringing. He came from nothing. His whole story. The way he burst into the UFC. To me I think he paved the way for where we are now in the sport. He really took it to another level," Johnny Munoz said.
Johnny Munoz predicts the winner of McGregor vs. Poirier 3
Conor McGregor is currently set to face off against Dustin Poirier in the main event of UFC 264. This will be the third time McGregor and Poirier have met one another in the UFC octagon, with both men holding a win apiece.
Poirier is the more recent victor, having finished McGregor with leg kicks and strikes at UFC 257 in January. Only six months have passed since, leaving fans and media alike to speculate on whether McGregor will have been able to make enough adjustments to defeat Poirier this time out.
Johnny Munoz acknowledges that while Dustin Poirier is an incredibly tough test for anyone to overcome, he is backing McGregor in this fight. He had the following to say:
"I appreciate Conor but I think he did lose focus a little bit. It seems like he's getting the hunger back, but Dustin Poirier's a tough opponent. I'm gonna say I predict Conor winning. This is the fight he has to win. If he doesn't win this, where he really go from here? Yeah I'm gonna go with Conor, I feel like he's gonna make those adjustments," said Johnny Munoz.
McGregor vs. Poirer 3 takes place this weekend in the main event of UFC 264. Johnny Munoz will take on Jamey Simmons during the prelims of August's UFC 265 PPV event, which will be headlined by an interim heavyweight title fight between Derrick Lewis and Ciryl Gane.