Conor McGregor featherweight run: How did the Irishman fare in the 145 lb division?
Conor McGregor joined the UFC back in 2013 in the featherweight division. The former Cage Warriors fighter had a professional record of 12-2 at the time. McGregor went on a stellar seven-fight unbeaten run in the weight class that culminated in the undisputed UFC featherweight title.
There was a lot of hype surrounding Conor McGregor even before his first UFC fight. The Irishman further elevated that with a first-round knockout finish against Marcus Brimage on his UFC debut in April 2013.
Watch Conor McGregor vs. Marcus Brimage below:
Four months later, McGregor took on then 22-year-old Max Holloway. The Irishman displayed his diverse striking game in the first round. However, he suffered a torn ACL during the fight and relied on his grappling for the next two rounds to earn a decision win against 'Blessed'.
He then got his first chance to headline a UFC card in his next outing against Diego Brandao in July 2014. The fight card took place in the Irishman's hometown of Dublin. McGregor put on a show in front of his supporters and stopped Brandao in the first round with a TKO win.
Watch McGregor's octagon interview after defeating Brandao:
His next fight was against Dustin Poirier at UFC 178 in September the same year, which many believed was McGregor's first tough test in the promotion. 'The Diamond' was on a stellar run of his own in the 145 lb division. However, McGregor was his usual confident self throughout the build-up and predicted a knockout in the first round.
McGregor delivered on his promise and earned a TKO in the second minute of the bout. Little did anyone know then that the fight was just the first of a storied a storied rivalry that would pick up seven years later.
Watch this video of McGregor vs. Poirier 1:
In his next fight against Dennis Siver in January 2015, McGregor put on a striking masterclass. He completely bamboozled Siver with his array of striking techniques and capped off a stunning performance with a second-round TKO finish.
His next two contests would solidify the Irishman as the most famous star in MMA history.
Conor McGregor's championship fights in the featherweight division
McGregor was set to fight Jose Aldo at UFC 189 for the UFC featherweight title. However, the Brazilian was forced to pull out with a rib injury, and Chad Mendes stepped in on short notice to fight 'Notorious' for the interim belt in July 2015.
Watch Conor McGregor and Dana White react to Jose Aldo pulling out of UFC 189:
Many believed Mendes with his wrestling would be a nightmare opponent for McGregor. True to script, 'Money' was able to take 'Notorious' down several times in the first round and inflicted some heavy damage on the Irishman.
However, Chad Mendes was visibly gassed out at the start of the second round. McGregor capitalized on that and landed a trademark left-hand shot to fold his opponent to the canvas. The fight was stopped after some follow-up shots from the Dublin native, who was crowned the UFC interim featherweight champion.
McGregor was rescheduled to challenge Aldo for the undisputed title at UFC 194 in December 2015. Aldo was a dominant champion of the division and hadn't lost a fight in nearly a decade. However, Conor McGregor finished him with a 13-second knockout that remains to this day arguably the greatest moment in UFC history.
Watch McGregor vs. Aldo: