Conor McGregor facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Conor McGregor
McGregor in 2025
Born	Conor Anthony McGregor (1988-07-14) 14 July 1988 (age 38) Dublin, Ireland
Other names	Notorious
Occupation	Mixed martial artist businessman
Spouse(s)	Dee Devlin ​ (m. 2025)​
Children	4
Relatives	Keith Buckley (cousin) Warren Davis (cousin)
Height	5 ft 8 in (173 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Division	Featherweight (2008–2015) Lightweight (2008–2012, 2016–2018, 2021–present) Welterweight (2016, 2020)
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Stance	Southpaw
Team	SBG Ireland
Trainer	John Kavanagh (head coach) Owen Roddy, Raj Vrînceanu (Boxing) Sergey Pikulskiy (Wrestling) John Connor (S&C) George Lockhart (Nutrition)
Rank	Black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu under John Kavanagh
Years active	2008–present
Professional boxing record
Total	1
Losses	1
By knockout	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	28
Wins	22
By knockout	19
By submission	1
By decision	2
Losses	6
By knockout	2
By submission	4
Amateur record
Total	1
Wins	1
By knockout	1
Losses	0

Conor Anthony McGregor (born on 14 July 1988) is an Irish professional mixed martial artist. He is famous for being a former champion in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). McGregor was the first fighter to hold UFC championships in two different weight classes at the same time. He also achieved this feat in the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship (CWFC).

McGregor started his professional MMA career in 2008. He competed in both the lightweight and featherweight divisions. In 2012, he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight Championships. This led to him signing with the UFC in 2013. After several impressive wins, he became the Interim Featherweight Champion. He then became the undisputed Featherweight Champion at UFC 194. He knocked out José Aldo in just 13 seconds, a record for a UFC title fight. In 2016, he won the UFC Lightweight Championship. He defeated Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205.

McGregor also tried professional boxing. He faced Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a very popular match in 2017. He lost this fight in the 10th round. He later returned to MMA. He challenged for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 229. He lost this fight to Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Conor McGregor is known for attracting many viewers to his fights. He has headlined some of the highest-selling UFC pay-per-view events. His fight against Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 had 2.4 million pay-per-view buys. This was the most ever for an MMA event. His boxing match against Mayweather generated over 5.3 million buys. This made it the second highest-selling pay-per-view event in history. Forbes magazine ranked McGregor as the world's highest-paid athlete in 2021. He earned an estimated $180 million that year. Outside of fighting, McGregor has started several businesses. These include ventures in the alcoholic beverage industry. He is also a co-owner of the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).

Conor McGregor's Journey

Early Life and Beginnings

Conor Anthony McGregor was born in Dublin, Ireland. His parents are Tony and Margaret McGregor. His father, Tony, has English and Irish roots. Conor grew up in Crumlin. He went to Irish-language schools. He loved sports from a young age, especially football.

He played football for Lourdes Celtic Football Club in his youth. When he was 12, he started boxing at Crumlin Boxing Club. He used boxing to build his confidence. It also helped him deal with bullies.

When McGregor was 13, his family moved to Lucan, Dublin. He attended Gaelcholáiste Coláiste Cois Life. His parents encouraged him to try a plumbing apprenticeship. He found the job difficult and not very interesting. In Lucan, he met future UFC fighter Tom Egan. They began training mixed martial arts (MMA) together. Some of his biggest inspirations were Naseem Hamed, Muhammad Ali, and Bruce Lee.

Starting in Amateur MMA

On 17 February 2007, at 18 years old, McGregor had his first amateur MMA fight. He fought Kieran Campbell in Dublin. He won this fight by technical knockout (TKO) in the first round. After this win, he decided to become a professional fighter. He then signed with the Irish Cage of Truth promotion. In 2008, McGregor started training at the Straight Blast Gym (SBG) in Dublin. His coach there was John Kavanagh.

Professional MMA Career Highlights

Early Fights and Championships

On 9 March 2008, McGregor had his first professional MMA fight. He competed as a lightweight. He defeated Gary Morris with a TKO in the second round. After winning his second fight, he lost his featherweight debut. He was defeated by Artemij Sitenkov. After another win, McGregor thought about quitting fighting. But his mother encouraged him to continue.

He then won his next fight at featherweight. He moved back to lightweight and lost to Joseph Duffy. Following this, McGregor went on an eight-fight winning streak from 2011 to 2012. During this time, he won both the CWFC Featherweight and Lightweight championships. This made him the first European fighter to hold two titles at once.

In February 2013, UFC president Dana White visited Dublin. He heard many requests to sign McGregor to the UFC. After meeting McGregor, White offered him a contract.

Joining the UFC

In February 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) announced they signed McGregor. He became only the second Irish fighter to compete for the company. His teammate Tom Egan was the first.

On 6 April 2013, McGregor made his UFC debut. He fought Marcus Brimage at UFC on Fuel TV: Mousasi vs. Latifi. He won the fight by knockout in the first round. This win also earned him a "Knockout of the Night" award.

McGregor was scheduled to fight Andy Ogle in August 2013. Ogle pulled out due to injury. Max Holloway replaced him. McGregor won this fight by unanimous decision. After the fight, an MRI scan showed McGregor had torn his ACL. This injury kept him out of action for about ten months.

Becoming a Champion

McGregor returned to fighting on 19 July 2014. He faced Diego Brandão at UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin. McGregor won the fight by TKO in the first round. This victory earned him his first Performance of the Night award.

He then signed a new contract with the UFC. McGregor next fought Dustin Poirier on 27 September 2014, at UFC 178. McGregor won early in the first round with a left hook. This earned him his second "Performance of the Night" award.

McGregor faced Dennis Siver on 18 January 2015. He won the fight via TKO in the second round. This was his third "Performance of the Night" award in a row.

McGregor (right), Dana White (middle) and José Aldo (left) in London during the World Tour for UFC 189 in March 2015

A highly anticipated fight with José Aldo was announced for 11 July 2015. This was for the undisputed UFC Featherweight Championship at UFC 189. The UFC spent a lot of money promoting this event. McGregor and Aldo went on a 12-day world tour to promote the fight. However, Aldo suffered a rib injury and withdrew. McGregor then fought Chad Mendes for the Interim Featherweight Championship. McGregor won this fight via TKO. He became the UFC Interim Featherweight Champion.

On 12 December at UFC 194, McGregor faced José Aldo to unify the Featherweight Championship. McGregor knocked out Aldo in just thirteen seconds with a left hook. This ended Aldo's long title reign. It was the fastest knockout in a UFC title bout ever. McGregor also earned a "Performance of the Night" bonus.

Facing New Challenges

McGregor in 2016

McGregor faced Nate Diaz on 5 March 2016 at UFC 196. This was a welterweight bout. Diaz won the fight by submission in the second round. Both fighters received "Fight of the Night" bonuses. McGregor earned the highest purse for any fighter in the company at that time.

A rematch with Diaz was scheduled for UFC 200. However, McGregor was pulled from the event due to media obligations. The fight was rescheduled for UFC 202. McGregor won the rematch by majority decision. This bout also earned "Fight of the Night" honors. The event set a new record for pay-per-view buys.

On 27 September, McGregor's next fight was announced. He would face Eddie Alvarez for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 205. McGregor won by technical knockout in the second round. This made him the first fighter to hold UFC championships in two different weight classes at the same time. This win earned him another "Performance of the Night" award.

Due to his inactivity in the featherweight division, McGregor was later stripped of his Featherweight Championship. José Aldo became the undisputed champion.

Return to the Octagon

After winning the lightweight championship, McGregor took time off. He waited for the birth of his first child. In 2017, he focused on a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.. The match took place on 26 August. Mayweather won by TKO in the 10th round.

McGregor in 2018

In April 2018, McGregor was stripped of the UFC Lightweight Championship. This was due to his inactivity. Khabib Nurmagomedov became the new champion.

On 3 August, McGregor announced his return to the octagon. He challenged Khabib Nurmagomedov for the Lightweight Championship at UFC 229. Nurmagomedov submitted McGregor in the fourth round.

In March 2019, McGregor announced his retirement. However, he later hinted at a return. He expressed interest in a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Recent Fights and Future Plans

After more than a year away, McGregor faced Donald Cerrone on 18 January 2020 at UFC 246. He won by technical knockout in 40 seconds. This earned him a "Performance of the Night" award. This win made him the first UFC fighter to have knockout wins in three different weight classes. In June 2020, McGregor announced his retirement again.

Despite talks of retirement, McGregor fought Dustin Poirier in a rematch on 24 January 2021 at UFC 257. He lost the fight by technical knockout in the second round. This was his first knockout loss. McGregor faced Poirier for a third time on 10 July 2021 at UFC 264. McGregor lost the fight in the first round. He broke his lower tibia, which stopped him from continuing.

After recovering from his leg injury, McGregor coached The Ultimate Fighter 31. He coached against Michael Chandler. This led to a planned welterweight fight against Chandler at UFC 303 on 29 June 2024. However, the fight was canceled due to an injury McGregor sustained.

On 7 October 2025, it was announced that McGregor had failed to disclose his whereabouts for drug testing three times in 2024. He received an eighteen-month suspension. This suspension ended in March 2026. He is now eligible to compete again.

After a five-year break, McGregor is scheduled to return to fighting. He will rematch Max Holloway in a welterweight main event. This fight is planned for July 11, 2026, at UFC 329.

His Unique Fighting Style

McGregor is known for his counter-striking. He prefers to fight standing up rather than on the ground. He is famous for his precise strikes and powerful knockouts. McGregor is left-handed and often uses a southpaw stance. He also switches to an orthodox stance. He usually tries to be the aggressor in his fights.

Many people consider McGregor's boxing skills to be his best. Most of his wins come from knockout or technical knockout by punches. His pull-back left-handed counter is often called his most dangerous strike.

McGregor is also known for his "trash talk" and "psychological warfare" before fights. This earned him the nickname 'The Notorious'. He has been compared to Muhammad Ali, who was one of his inspirations. McGregor has also mentioned Bruce Lee as an inspiration. Before his fights against Donald Cerrone and the rematch against Dustin Poirier, McGregor was respectful. However, he used a lot of trash talk before his third fight with Poirier.

Boxing Match with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On 14 June 2017, it was announced that McGregor would have his first professional boxing match. He would fight the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr.. The match took place on 26 August 2017 in Paradise, Nevada. It was broadcast on pay-per-view. The fight was at super welterweight (154 pounds). It was expected to be one of the richest boxing matches ever.

On 24 August 2017, it was announced they would compete for the WBC Money Belt. Mayweather was guaranteed $100 million, and McGregor was guaranteed $30 million. Mayweather won the match by TKO in the 10th round. Mayweather reportedly earned about $280 million in total. McGregor earned around $130 million.

Public Engagements

McGregor with U.S Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth at The Pentagon, March 2025

In December 2023, it was reported that McGregor was thinking about running for President of Ireland. Elon Musk supported the idea on social media. McGregor said he wanted to run because he felt the nation's funds were not managed well. He also felt people's voices were not being heard. A poll that month showed some public support for him.

On 17 March 2025, McGregor visited the White House in Washington, D.C.. He was invited by U.S. President Donald Trump for a Saint Patrick's Day event. During his visit, he announced his intention to run as an independent candidate in the 2025 Irish presidential election. On September 15, 2025, McGregor announced he was withdrawing from the presidential race. He made this decision after "careful consideration."

Beyond Fighting: Business and Media

Endorsements and Clothing Lines

McGregor has had endorsement deals with big brands. These include Beats by Dre, Monster Energy, Reebok, and Bud Light. In 2017, his endorsement deals were worth about $7 million. Due to some recent events, McGregor lost some of his sponsorship and partnership deals. Some retailers also stopped selling his stout and whiskey brands.

Just before his fight with Mayweather, McGregor started a fashion partnership. He teamed up with tailoring brand David August. Their brand is called "August McGregor." It aims to provide modern men's suits to millennials.

Acting and Entertainment

In 2022, McGregor was cast in a remake of the 1989 film Road House. He acted alongside Jake Gyllenhaal. The film was released in 2024.

On 27 April 2024, it was announced that McGregor and his company, "McGregor Sports and Entertainment," became part-owners of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). McGregor has since appeared at several BKFC events.

Personal Life and Interests

McGregor has two sisters, Erin and Aoife. He is Catholic. His cousins Keith Buckley and Warren Davis are both professional footballers.

He has been in a relationship with Dee Devlin since 2008. They have four children together. They got engaged in 2020. They married at the Church of Santo Stefano degli Abissini in Vatican City in December 2025.

McGregor often trains at the Mjölnir gym in Reykjavík. He trains there with fellow UFC fighter Gunnar Nelson. He has said he does not have any pre-fight rituals or superstitions. He believes they are "a form of fear." McGregor is a football fan. He supports both Celtic and Manchester United. He has also shown support for Paris Saint-Germain. He is friends with Sergio Ramos.

Achievements and Awards

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Interim UFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • UFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • UFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
  • Fight of the Night (Two times) vs. Nate Diaz (x2)
  • Knockout of the Night (One time) vs. Marcus Brimage
    • Greatest Knockout in UFC's first 25 Years vs. José Aldo
  • Performance of the Night (Seven times) vs. Diego Brandão, Dustin Poirier, Dennis Siver, Chad Mendes, José Aldo, Eddie Alvarez and Donald Cerrone
    • Tied (Donald Cerrone, Ovince Saint Preux, Tom Aspinall & Carlos Prates) for fourth most Performance of the Night awards in UFC history (7)
    • Most consecutive Performance of the Night awards in UFC history (5)
    • Most consecutive post-fight bonuses in UFC history (8)
  • First Irish-born UFC champion
  • Third Multi-Divisional Champion in UFC History (Featherweight, Lightweight)
  • First simultaneous multi-divisional champion in UFC history (Featherweight, Lightweight)
  • Fastest win in a UFC Championship fight (13 seconds) vs. José Aldo
  • Fastest finish in a UFC Championship fight (13 seconds) vs. José Aldo
  • Most knockdowns-per-fifteen minutes in UFC Featherweight division history (2.31)
  • Tied (Chad Mendes & Choi Doo-ho) for third most knockouts in UFC Featherweight division history (6)
  • One of two fighters (Jared Cannonier) to have knockout victories in three different weight classes
  • Tied for fourth most consecutive knockouts in UFC history (5)
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2013: Ranked #2 Newcomer of the Year
    • 2015: Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Knockout of the Year vs. José Aldo
    • 2016: Ranked #3 Fighter of the Year & Ranked #2 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz 2
• Cage Warriors Fighting Championship
  • CWFC Featherweight Championship (One time)
  • CWFC Lightweight Championship (One time)
• BJPenn.com
  • 2010s Fighter of the Decade
• Bleacher Report
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 202
  • 2017 Story of the Year: Conor Goes Boxing
  • 2018 Story of the Year: Conor McGregor Attacks a Bus and Its Occupants
• ESPN
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• ESPYs
  • 2016 Best Fighter
• Sports Illustrated
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• Fight Matrix
  • 2015 Male Fighter of the Year
  • 2020 Comeback Fighter of the Year
  • Lineal Featherweight Championship (one time)
• Fox Sports
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 202
• MMA Fighting
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 189
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2010s #5 Ranked Fighter of the Decade
• MMA Junkie
  • 2015 Male Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 #2 Ranked Knockout of the Year vs. José Aldo at UFC 194
  • 2015 December Knockout of the Month vs. José Aldo
  • 2016 #2 Ranked Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 #3 Ranked Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz 2 at UFC 202
  • 2016 #5 Ranked Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 196
  • 2016 March Fight of the Month vs. Nate Diaz
  • 2016 August Fight of the Month vs. Nate Diaz
  • 2010s #5 Ranked Fighter of the Decade
• MMA Insider
  • 2013 Best UFC Newcomer
• MMA Mania
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 189
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• RTÉ Sport
  • 2016 RTÉ Sports Person of the Year
• Rolling Stone
• Severe MMA
  • 2014 Irish Pro Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Irish Pro Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• Sherdog
  • 2014 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Event of the Year headlined at UFC 194
  • 2015 Knockout of the Year vs. José Aldo
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• The MMA Community
  • 2015 Male Fighter of the Year
• Time
  • 2017 Top 100 Most Influential People inclusion
• VIP Style Awards
  • 2015 Ireland's Most Stylish Man
• World MMA Awards
  • 2014 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 International Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fighter of the Year
• Wrestling Observer Newsletter
  • 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021 Best Box Office Draw
  • 2015, 2016 and 2017 Best on Interviews
  • 2015 Feud of the Year vs. José Aldo
  • 2016 Feud of the Year vs. Nate Diaz
  • 2016 and 2018 Mixed Martial Arts Most Valuable
  • 2016 Most Charismatic
  • 2015 and 2016 Most Outstanding Fighter of the Year
• Yahoo Sports
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz 2 at UFC 202
• CBS Sports
  • 2016 #3 Ranked UFC Fighter of the Year
  • 2016 #2 Ranked UFC Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 202
  • 2016 #6 Ranked UFC Fight of the Year vs. Nate Diaz at UFC 196
• Combat Press
  • 2014 Breakout Fighter of the Year
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year
• MMA Weekly
  • 2015 Fighter of the Year

State/Local

• Key to the City of Miami: 28 September 2021

Popular Fights and Viewership

Mixed martial arts

Boxing

Film and TV Appearances

Film

Television

Video Game Roles

Video games

Mixed martial arts record

Professional

Amateur

Boxing record

Professional

Exhibition

See Also

In Spanish: Conor McGregor para niños

• Khabib Nurmagomedov
• List of current UFC fighters
• List of Irish UFC fighters
• List of male mixed martial artists
• Ultimate Fighting Championship rankings