Conor McGregor is celebrating his 10th anniversary with the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
On April 6, 2013, ‘The Notorious’ made his promotional debut at UFC on Fuel TV 9, delivering a first-round knockout of Marcus Brimage just over the one-minute mark. McGregor celebrated the beginning of his journey by retweeting multiple acknowledgements of his special day, including one from his employer.
Today marks exactly ten years since Conor McGregor first stepped in the Octagon! #Notor1ous,” the UFC tweeted.
The former two-division Cage Warriors titleholder would go on to pick off some fairly big names inside the Octagon, including perennial contender Max Holloway, lightweight fan-favorite Dustin Poirier, and UFC standout turned BKFC brawler Chad Mendes. However, none were bigger than his 13-second knockout of featherweight GOAT Jose Aldo. Fans were nothing short of shocked when McGregor landed a picture-perfect left hand just seconds into the bout, handing Aldo his first defeat in nearly a decade.
From there, Conor McGregor’s star quickly skyrocketed. Going on to become the biggest draw in MMA history, ‘The Notorious’ engaged in a two-part war with fellow fan-favorite Nate Diaz before defeating Eddie Alvarez to capture the UFC lightweight title, becoming the promotion’s first simultaneous two-division UFC champion.
Conor McGregor’s Legacy Will Continue Later This Year
Since making UFC history, Conor McGregor has only won once in the last seven years, but that doesn’t stop fans from piling into arenas and forking over cold hard cash for pay-per-views featuring the Irish megastar. Following his victory over Eddie Alvarez, McGregor vacated both titles to try his hand inside the squared circle, competing against undefeated boxing legend Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather. He lost the bout via a 10th-round TKO.
The Notorious’ returned to the Octagon a year later to challenge UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov for the 155-pound title. Coming up short in his bid to reclaim the lightweight championship, McGregor got back into the win column with a first-round finish of Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone before turning his attention to former foe Dustin Poirier. The two men squared off in back-to-back fights with ‘The Diamond’ coming out on top in both instances.
McGregor is slated for a return to the cage this fall against former Bellator champion ‘Iron’ Michael Chandler. Before they strap on the 4oz gloves, the pair will coach opposite one another on the 31st season of The Ultimate Fighter, scheduled to air this summer.