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Conor Anthony McGregor was born on July 14, 1988, in Dublin, Ireland, as the youngest of three children. He is pictured here in a school photo with his older sisters, Erin and Aoife.
1/30Conor Anthony McGregor was born on July 14, 1988, in Dublin, Ireland, as the youngest of three children. He is pictured here in a school photo with his older sisters, Erin and Aoife.
As a youngster, McGregor was most passionate about football, in particular Manchester United, but joined a boxing gym at age 12 where he began to fall in love with the fight game.
2/30As a youngster, McGregor was most passionate about football, in particular Manchester United, but joined a boxing gym at age 12 where he began to fall in love with the fight game.
After finishing school he began a plumbing apprenticeship but hated the tedious hours and began to harbour dreams of making it as a mixed martial artist. He began fighting in the Cage Warriors promotion in Europe and became a two-weight world champion.
3/30After finishing school he began a plumbing apprenticeship but hated the tedious hours and began to harbour dreams of making it as a mixed martial artist. He began fighting in the Cage Warriors promotion in Europe and became a two-weight world champion.
It wasn’t long before the UFC noticed his talents and he became an immediate juggernaut after joining the promotion. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
4/30It wasn’t long before the UFC noticed his talents and he became an immediate juggernaut after joining the promotion. (Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images)
McGregor made everything a show, drawing huge crowds to his weigh-ins. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
5/30McGregor made everything a show, drawing huge crowds to his weigh-ins. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
With an antagonistic but also hilarious approach to press conferences McGregor quickly became the face of the sport. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
6/30With an antagonistic but also hilarious approach to press conferences McGregor quickly became the face of the sport. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
His 13-second knockout of longtime Brazilian featherweight champion Jose Aldo sealed his status as a legitimate force.
7/30His 13-second knockout of longtime Brazilian featherweight champion Jose Aldo sealed his status as a legitimate force.
His first hiccup came in March 5, 2016, when short notice opponent Nate Diaz surprised McGregor with some heavy punches before choking him out to end his unbeaten run in the UFC. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
8/30His first hiccup came in March 5, 2016, when short notice opponent Nate Diaz surprised McGregor with some heavy punches before choking him out to end his unbeaten run in the UFC. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
But if anything it only made McGregor more relatable and when he made a bloody mess of Diaz in a legendary rematch, his fame only grew further. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
9/30But if anything it only made McGregor more relatable and when he made a bloody mess of Diaz in a legendary rematch, his fame only grew further. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
McGregor won a five-round epic and won fans with his determination to beat Diaz at the same weight as their first bout, despite normally fighting in a lower division. Picture: Steve Marcus/Getty Images
10/30McGregor won a five-round epic and won fans with his determination to beat Diaz at the same weight as their first bout, despite normally fighting in a lower division. Picture: Steve Marcus/Getty Images
The absolute peak of his career as a fighter came in November 2016 when he added the 155-pound championship to his 145-pound belt and became the UFC’s first ever two-weight world champion by obliterating Eddie Alvarez. Picture: Jason Silva/AGIF (via AP)
11/30The absolute peak of his career as a fighter came in November 2016 when he added the 155-pound championship to his 145-pound belt and became the UFC’s first ever two-weight world champion by obliterating Eddie Alvarez. Picture: Jason Silva/AGIF (via AP)
McGregor’s meteoric rise in MMA was told in the film “Notorious”, but it was at this point the warning signs began to appear.
12/30McGregor’s meteoric rise in MMA was told in the film “Notorious”, but it was at this point the warning signs began to appear.
He leveraged his superstardom by convincing the UFC to let him take part in a boxing match against pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
13/30He leveraged his superstardom by convincing the UFC to let him take part in a boxing match against pound-for-pound legend Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
McGregor began to transform from likeable showman to an often over-the-top loudmouth during a controversial press tour with the older boxer. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
14/30McGregor began to transform from likeable showman to an often over-the-top loudmouth during a controversial press tour with the older boxer. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)
He appeared ready to do anything to keep his name up in lights. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
15/30He appeared ready to do anything to keep his name up in lights. Picture: Ethan Miller/Getty Images
He may have won the battle of the microphone but he was badly outclassed in the ring as Mayweather stopped him in the 10th round without ever being threatened. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
16/30He may have won the battle of the microphone but he was badly outclassed in the ring as Mayweather stopped him in the 10th round without ever being threatened. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
Away from the ring - or cage - McGregor welcomed the first of his four children, son Conor Jr, in the lead-up to the fight. Picture: Instagram
17/30Away from the ring - or cage - McGregor welcomed the first of his four children, son Conor Jr, in the lead-up to the fight. Picture: Instagram
But he was living far from the quiet family life, flaunting the incredible wealth he made from the Mayweather bout to live the high life. Picture: Conor McGregor/Instagram
18/30But he was living far from the quiet family life, flaunting the incredible wealth he made from the Mayweather bout to live the high life. Picture: Conor McGregor/Instagram
He also began mixing with some of the most famous people in the world, including meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 2018 Football World Cup Final. Picture: AFP
19/30He also began mixing with some of the most famous people in the world, including meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin at the 2018 Football World Cup Final. Picture: AFP
Then came a darker chapter as his team began a feud with a group of Dagestani fighters led by Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor was arrested and pled guilty to disorderly conduct after flying into New York and attacking a UFC bus that Nurmagomedov was sitting on. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
20/30Then came a darker chapter as his team began a feud with a group of Dagestani fighters led by Khabib Nurmagomedov. McGregor was arrested and pled guilty to disorderly conduct after flying into New York and attacking a UFC bus that Nurmagomedov was sitting on. (Photo by Raymond Hall/GC Images)
The bad blood led to some unseemly exchanges in the lead-up to their fight for the UFC lightweight championship in October, 2018. The event was the biggest in UFC history, but McGregor was humbled and tapped out. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)
21/30The bad blood led to some unseemly exchanges in the lead-up to their fight for the UFC lightweight championship in October, 2018. The event was the biggest in UFC history, but McGregor was humbled and tapped out. (Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC)
Nurmagomedov also lowered his colours by jumping into the crowd after the bout to confront one of McGregor’s training partners and the dangerous chaos led to widespread condemnation of the UFC.
22/30Nurmagomedov also lowered his colours by jumping into the crowd after the bout to confront one of McGregor’s training partners and the dangerous chaos led to widespread condemnation of the UFC.
After the defeat McGregor appeared to be spiralling. He was arrested in Miami after being accused of smashing a fan’s phone. Supplied: Miami Beach Police.
23/30After the defeat McGregor appeared to be spiralling. He was arrested in Miami after being accused of smashing a fan’s phone. Supplied: Miami Beach Police.
After a long layoff, McGregor returned to the Octagon in spectacular style in January, 2020, obliterating veteran Donald Cerrone while unveiling a reformed, polite persona in press conferences.<br/>
24/30After a long layoff, McGregor returned to the Octagon in spectacular style in January, 2020, obliterating veteran Donald Cerrone while unveiling a reformed, polite persona in press conferences.
But the Cerrone win would be the last of his career. He returned a year later against Dustin Poirier but was knocked out for the first time. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
25/30But the Cerrone win would be the last of his career. He returned a year later against Dustin Poirier but was knocked out for the first time. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Later that year McGregor endured a disaster, snapping his ankle in a rematch against Poirier - and he has failed to fight since. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
26/30Later that year McGregor endured a disaster, snapping his ankle in a rematch against Poirier - and he has failed to fight since. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
Still the invites kept rolling in. He attended the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City with Devlin. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS)
27/30Still the invites kept rolling in. He attended the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards in New York City with Devlin. (Photo by Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for MTV/ ViacomCBS)
And was spotted trackside at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
28/30And was spotted trackside at the 2022 Monaco Grand Prix. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
McGregor also made his Hollywood debut, filming a remake of “Road House” with Jake Gyllenhaal that premiered in early 2024. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
29/30McGregor also made his Hollywood debut, filming a remake of “Road House” with Jake Gyllenhaal that premiered in early 2024. (Photo by Stuart C. Wilson/Stuart C. Wilson/Getty Images)
Then came the lowest moment of McGregor’s public life. On November 22, 2024, a woman won a civil court damages claim after alleging that the fighter raped her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor became a global pariah - where he goes next remains to be seen but he’s hinted at still wanting to fight again. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)
30/30Then came the lowest moment of McGregor’s public life. On November 22, 2024, a woman won a civil court damages claim after alleging that the fighter raped her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. McGregor became a global pariah - where he goes next remains to be seen but he’s hinted at still wanting to fight again. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP)
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Original URL: https://www.ntnews.com.au/sport/boxing-mma/the-notorious-rise-and-fall-of-conor-mcgregor/image-gallery/c1561bc96d35cf3dd9990d917a98cdf2