Why did Conor McGregor start fighting? Taking a look at the Irishman's MMA journey
UFC superstar Conor McGregor has enjoyed an incredible professional career over the past 16 years. The Irishman is known for his fiery striking and larger-than-life persona inside and outside the octagon.
McGregor made his professional debut in 2008 with a TKO win against Gary Morris at Cage of Truth 2. However, he put on his fighting gloves and started training many years before it all came to fruition in 2008.
When McGregor was just 12, he began boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club in the capital city of Dublin, Ireland. It was a means of defending himself from bullies who targeted him while growing up.
'The Notorious' left no stone unturned and even went against his own father's wishes, taking up combat sports as a profession. McGregor would go on to prove his father wrong and quickly found success in the regional circuit.
After winning both the featherweight and lightweight titles at Cage Warriors, McGregor made the big move to the UFC and the rest is history.
Check out Conor McGregor's dad's comments below:
Why did Conor McGregor start fighting? Irishman's first coach details his origins
Conor McGregor's first coach at the Crumlin Boxing Club was Phil Sutcliffe, a respected figure in the boxing community.
In a 2016 interview with Boxing News, Sutcliffe detailed McGregor's entry to the sport as a 12-year-old. He lauded the hard work put in by the young McGregor and his ability to learn quickly.
"He was just like any other kid who walked into the gym wanting to join a boxing club, he had to get his parents’ permission first. He trained very, very hard, he was one of the kids you never had to shout at, he was very focused. He wanted to be a good boxer and he was getting good... He won a few novice titles and boxed on plenty of shows to learn his trade..."
Check out Conor McGregor with Phil Sutcliffe below:
Sutcliffe described McGregor's seamless transition to the world of MMA and addressed his own reservations about it. One thing is for certain, McGregor's boxing roots have been prevalent throughout his MMA career and a staple of his approach.
"He started doing grappling and wrestling and mixed martial arts, a lot of kids took to it... It’s more animalistic when you’re on the ground. He started moving towards it when he was 15 or 16 and he was telling me he couldn’t come to the gym on certain nights because he was doing grappling or wrestling..."
"I thought it was very barbaric when you’re allowed to hit someone on the ground with your elbows and your knees like a street fight. Conor’s been able to take it to a new level and he has that style which gets people following him.”
While UFC CEO Dana White teased Connor McGregor's potential return with a social media post on Friday (April 5), it remains to be seen when the Irishman will return to the octagon.