- Research undertaken by 888Sport asked fans what they think of Conor McGregor
- McGregor splits the crowd, with 36% of fans claiming to like the lightweight challenger
- 62% of fans back the Irishman to win his trilogy fight against Dustin Poirier at UFC264
Conor McGregor is currently training for his much anticipated trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier, which is set to headline UFC 264 on July 10th in Las Vegas. 888 Sport have undertaken research to find out the public perception to MMA’s most notorious superstar.
McGregor has achieved legendary status in the combat sports world, with his achievements both inside and outside of the octagon propelling him to superstardom. He recently topped the Forbes list for highest earning athletes in 2020*, and with a bank balance climbing towards $1 Billion, many have questioned McGregor’s desire to keep fighting.
Boxing legend Marvin Hagler famously commented that ‘it’s tough to get out of bed and do roadwork when you’ve been sleeping in silk pajamas’, and research undertaken by 888 Sport shows that only 16% of people would keep fighting if they had as much money as Conor ‘Notorious’ McGregor.
The Irish superstar grabbed the attention of the MMA community and the wider public since he burst onto the scene in 2013 when he was signed by the UFC. McGregor captured the featherweight belt after just 7 fights in the UFC, when he knocked out Jose Aldo in 13 seconds. The next year, McGregor became the first ever fighter to hold two world championship belts simultaneously when he beat Eddie Alvarez to become the UFC Lightweight World Champion.
McGregor has since dealt with legal battles, cross code fights, and plenty in between, and as a result, the public perception seems to have altered, with him now being a truly divisive figure. According to stats collected from 888 Sport, 36% of people claim to like McGregor, while 35% claim to dislike the Irishman. 29% simply can’t make up their mind on their stance on McGregor, proving the personality he has developed.
Fans last saw Conor McGregor in the octagon on January 23rd, when he suffered a 2nd round TKO defeat to Dustin Poirier. McGregor has a first round victory over Poirier on his resume from 2014, and their trilogy fight goes down in Las Vegas on July 10th. 888 Sport found that 62% of fans expect McGregor to avenge his most recent defeat and take home the victory in the trilogy fight.
A spokesperson for 888 Sport commented: “Conor McGregor captured the attention and the hearts of MMA fans and the wider public as a whole when he burst into the scene all those years ago.
It is very interesting to see how people now view him, and to see whether his decision to keep fighting despite his massive wealth is something which fans support.”