Conor McGregor is and has always been overrated.
There, I said it.
In his prime, he lost against Nate Diaz, a lifetime lightweight that was never particularly good. The biggest mistake he made was throwing a lead left that left him sprawled across the canvas with his own back presented as free real estate. It was McGregor’s first submission loss in the UFC, but not his last. McGregor has never been a truly great fighter, but he has always been fun to watch, and there are always enough little moments of brilliance that make up for the bad.
McGregor turned mixed martial arts into an international sport. He also captured the hearts of the Irish. He had them hanging off his every word for years before UFC 205. And now that he’s lost to the biggest mixed martial arts star in the eastern hemisphere, in a title match that had all but been handed to him on a silver platter, this whole “superhero” act has worn thin.
The truth is, he’s just not a particularly good fighter. And it’s all a farce. Moreover, that’s not the biggest point to be made about McGregor.
So that’s it? Conor McGregor is overrated? It was just a bunch of people hating on McGregor? It was just a bunch of folks celebrating McGregor for what he did? This is going to get better as the years go by? Let’s just move on?
People who are critical of McGregor should not go on and on about the man’s popularity, his power, his brilliance, or anything else. Instead, they should make the case for him as a terrible fighter, and everything else is simply hot air. And, as for how well he performs in the cage, well, look at his record. What do you see?
There are people who have spent time in the UFC, as well as the mainstream media, who think McGregor deserves to be on the level of a Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva. The latter in particular might not be a terribly pleasant comparison, because Silva is a once-in-a-generation talent that elevated his sport to an entirely new level.
There's the argument from those same people that McGregor is “good enough” and deserves a chance to win a title.
But he’s not. He’s not good enough, and he doesn’t deserve a chance to win a title. The truth is, he’s not a top-15 fighter, and he would need to beat some moderate-sized names to begin getting serious consideration as one of the sport’s elite.
Even if he does win the lightweight championship by virtue of being given an undeserved title shot, he doesn’t have the resume to make him a top-five fighter. The best fighter McGregor has beat is Eddie Alvarez.
After more than two years of what can best be described as his “McConor Show,” we know about how entertaining McGregor can be. He is cocky, wild, brash, and over-the-top. He is, in every way, what you would expect from a “superhero.”
But he’s not a superhero.
He’s not a pioneer, and he’s not a trailblazer. He’s not a true champion, and he hasn’t beaten the top fighters in the sport. McGregor is a good fighter, but he’s not a great fighter. He’s a good looking man, and a flash in the pan. And that’s it.
By fighting Floyd Mayweather and taking away any chance that McGregor had to prove himself on his own terms, the UFC has just confirmed McGregor for what he is: a name, a hype-machine, a clown. And it’s time to move on from him.
It’s easy to be a hater, but it’s not wise to hate the hater.
There, I said it.
In his prime, he lost against Nate Diaz, a lifetime lightweight that was never particularly good. The biggest mistake he made was throwing a lead left that left him sprawled across the canvas with his own back presented as free real estate. It was McGregor’s first submission loss in the UFC, but not his last. McGregor has never been a truly great fighter, but he has always been fun to watch, and there are always enough little moments of brilliance that make up for the bad.
McGregor turned mixed martial arts into an international sport. He also captured the hearts of the Irish. He had them hanging off his every word for years before UFC 205. And now that he’s lost to the biggest mixed martial arts star in the eastern hemisphere, in a title match that had all but been handed to him on a silver platter, this whole “superhero” act has worn thin.
The truth is, he’s just not a particularly good fighter. And it’s all a farce. Moreover, that’s not the biggest point to be made about McGregor.
So that’s it? Conor McGregor is overrated? It was just a bunch of people hating on McGregor? It was just a bunch of folks celebrating McGregor for what he did? This is going to get better as the years go by? Let’s just move on?
People who are critical of McGregor should not go on and on about the man’s popularity, his power, his brilliance, or anything else. Instead, they should make the case for him as a terrible fighter, and everything else is simply hot air. And, as for how well he performs in the cage, well, look at his record. What do you see?
There are people who have spent time in the UFC, as well as the mainstream media, who think McGregor deserves to be on the level of a Jon Jones or Georges St. Pierre or Anderson Silva. The latter in particular might not be a terribly pleasant comparison, because Silva is a once-in-a-generation talent that elevated his sport to an entirely new level.
There's the argument from those same people that McGregor is “good enough” and deserves a chance to win a title.
But he’s not. He’s not good enough, and he doesn’t deserve a chance to win a title. The truth is, he’s not a top-15 fighter, and he would need to beat some moderate-sized names to begin getting serious consideration as one of the sport’s elite.
Even if he does win the lightweight championship by virtue of being given an undeserved title shot, he doesn’t have the resume to make him a top-five fighter. The best fighter McGregor has beat is Eddie Alvarez.
After more than two years of what can best be described as his “McConor Show,” we know about how entertaining McGregor can be. He is cocky, wild, brash, and over-the-top. He is, in every way, what you would expect from a “superhero.”
But he’s not a superhero.
He’s not a pioneer, and he’s not a trailblazer. He’s not a true champion, and he hasn’t beaten the top fighters in the sport. McGregor is a good fighter, but he’s not a great fighter. He’s a good looking man, and a flash in the pan. And that’s it.
By fighting Floyd Mayweather and taking away any chance that McGregor had to prove himself on his own terms, the UFC has just confirmed McGregor for what he is: a name, a hype-machine, a clown. And it’s time to move on from him.
It’s easy to be a hater, but it’s not wise to hate the hater.
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