Is Conor McGregor the most-searched UFC fighter on Google? Report says otherwise
Conor McGregor is the biggest superstar the UFC has ever produced, and the Irishman's stardom extends far beyond the sport of MMA. However, a recent report by MiddleEasy showed that the former two-division champion isn't among the most searched-for fighters online.
'The Notorious' propelled the UFC to new heights, boasting over 55 million followers on social media and headlining five of the six highest-earning pay-per-view events in UFC history. After being sidelined for almost two years, McGregor will reprise his role as a coach in the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter opposite Michael Chandler.
Apart from his highly-anticipated return to action, Conor McGregor will also make his Hollywood debut this year with a remake of 'Road House' alongside veteran actor Jake Gyllenhaal. The Irish superstar recently made headlines while filming parts of the movie at UFC 285.
Nevertheless, none of these major developments have translated to McGregor's popularity in the Google search bar. A summary of the report by Amy Kaplan revealed that Israel Adesanya was the most searched fighter among the UFC's pound-for-pound list, followed by Jon Jones and Kamaru Usman.
The Nigerian-born Kiwi was also the most Googled middleweight, followed by his next UFC 287 opponent, Alex Pereira, and Sean Strickland. Jon Jones was the most searched-for heavyweight, with Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa just behind. Interestingly, Islam Makhachev and Charles Oliveira tied for most Googled lightweights, followed by Dustin Poirier in second place.
Most-searched fighter: Conor McGregor reacts to UFC owners Endeavor inking a deal to buy WWE
It was recently reported that Ari Emanuel’s Endeavor Group, which also owns the UFC, has acquired a majority stake in Vince McMahon's wrestling organization WWE.
Today, @Endeavor announced it has signed an agreement to form a $21+ billion global live sports and entertainment company made up of @UFC and @WWE.
bit.ly/3ZJI12U https://t.co/ZBk95c5exU
The Endeavor Group will reportedly merge the two companies into one publicly traded company worth $21 billion+. The company will own 51% shares of the WWE, while existing shareholders would retain 49%. The Endeavor-WWE deal also valued the UFC at $12 billion, which is triple the amount at which Endeavor acquired the MMA promotion in 2016.
Conor McGregor reacted to the news with a series of tweets and congratulated the UFC and its parent company on the new deal. 'The Notorious' wrote:
"Congrats to the @ufc now worth a cool Proper $12bn. Wow! Endeavor bout to scoop the @WWE now also. Incredible. What a powerhouse!"
McGregor also posted a picture of himself with both WWE and UFC straps, hinting at a possible stint in WWE in the future.
@wwe, @ufc, @TheMacLife 
#itsinevitable
🇮🇪 @wwe, @ufc, @TheMacLife 🇺🇸 #itsinevitable https://t.co/4m75uwZr23