Okay here are some possible reasons -He is exciting to watch and goes for knockouts. But so do many others like Francis Ngannou, Rampage Jackson, BJ Penn etc. None of them were close to as popular as conor -He is Irish. Thats a big one. But shouldn't bigger countries like USA have bigger fanbases? -He is a funny trash talker. So is Chael Sonnen, and Colby Covington. No one cares about them two -He is talented. Yes he is, but there are far more talented fighters or equally talented fighters, that are no way near as popular. Usman, Mighty Mouse, Henry Cejudo (no one cares about these guys)
For me, it's his fighting style and skill. He's really that good and is very entertaining. Really confident and commits to everything. Doesn't mean he'll beat everybody. Outside the ring, he's an a-hole. He's kind of like Mayweather. Not likeable. But Floyd talked tons of **** and then ran for 12 rounds. This guy talks **** and goes in there to kill you. Yes, I brought Floyd into this because they are similar in their pre-fight antics. But that's me, his antics definitely got him fans too, so it brings him attention, negative or positive.
All of what both of you said. Conor also predicted how he'd beat his opponents (and pulled it off), KO'ed the champs, beat the best, and know how to sell a fight.
I totally disagree that nobody cares about Chael Sonnen. His remtach with Anderson Silva was like the second biggest ppv of all time. He also gets paid just to give his opinion on ESPN and hundreds of thousands of subscribers on youtube. Do you think he would have that following or those opportunities if he'd just been a humble competitor with a points win over Nate Marquardt and a submission against Shogun Rua? Uh no. If Chael had won titles in two weight divisions he would have been a major star. Maybe not quite Ronda or Conor territory, but still a legit celebrity. And that's with a style that involves taking his opponents down and then basically dry-humping their leg in half-guard. Conor has a style that is far more entertaining than Chael's. He is also legitimiately elite with two world titles, and his rivalry with Nate Diaz was magical. And Conor's persona is far more captivating than Chael's glib trolling routine I think people are also attracted to Conor's mindset, which is a combination of Law of Attraction and Stoicism which is hugely popular with 20-something men in this era. I think these men, who feel out of place in the world they live in, see Conor, on his quest for greatness, as an avatar for their own quests to find a significant other or to work their way up the ladder at work.
He's an exciting fighter, but he put on an obnoxious act that brought in a huge amount of casual fans who aren't even fans of MMA. All the staged hype, and WWE crap is very annoying to me, but you can't dispute the numbers McGregor, and others to a lesser extent, pull in with that act. My young nephew was one of those fans, and he looked to like he was about to cry when Mayweather stopped McGregor, even though I told him it was going to happen lol. He's not a real fan of MMA or boxing outside of McGregor, the YouTube guys, and a few others who pull him in with stupid hype. I want McGregor to fight guys like Masvidal in the UFC, but if he just wants to cash in he might as well box the Paul brother's and KSI.
He is talented, funny and exciting, just like you stated. And he is a two weight champ. Everyone else you mentioned has just 1/3 of those qualities.
He was managed well and engineered to a title shot at the right time. Darren Till and Yair Rodriguez are two examples of fighters being rushed by hype too early. Dana saw Till as a new McGregor and saw Rodriguez as someone he could use to gain popularity with the mexican crowd.
I don’t get it either, I hate him. However, he is so famous because he appeals to the huge base of casuals that tune in for him but not better skilled guys. He has a entertaining personality for many people, not me. He needs a horsewhipping for punching that old man that refused his whiskey.
He knocked Aldo out in 13 seconds. It was one of the most anticipated fights in UFC history. Aldo was ranked P4P #1 at the time. McGregor trash talked Aldo throughout the promotion and predicted that he'd knock him out. When the fight was over, McGregor became a superstar.
He seems like a grub with a massive ego not in line with his ability or long term results. Unfortunately we likely never see how good he could have been because of the massive life changing Mayweather paydays as well as the other huge money he's made in sponsers and other MMA bouts either side of that fight with Mayweather. Not to mention the millions he will continue making from his whiskey and other outside business interests and distractions that come with it.
