UFC star Conor McGregor compared himself to NBA icon Michael Jordan.
There’s no denying that Conor McGregor is the most successful athlete in the history of mixed martial arts. Aside from being the promotion’s first-ever simultaneous two-division world champion, he’s also responsible for eight of the 10 highest-grossing pay-per-view events in UFC history.
Apparently, that’s good enough to stand side-by-side with the man who went from being cut by his high school basketball team to becoming the greatest player (sorry LeBron) the game has ever seen.
Recently, the popular X account @HoopsMixOnly posted a clip of ‘Air’ Jordan doing ‘Air’ Jordan things. Sharing the video, McGregor compared himself to the six-time NBA champion.
“Unless you’ve hit moves they’ve never seen before you are in no talks,” McGregor wrote. “I’ve done it multiple times! Respect to Jordan. BIG GOAT TALK.”
Conor McGregor and Michael Jordan May Be More Similar Than You Think — Careerwise
McGregor’s self-comparison to Michael Jordan may seem like a bit of a stretch at first, but once you run the numbers, it’s not all that crazy to consider. The former Tar Heel won six championship rings for the Chicago Bulls between 1991 and 1998, three-peating twice.
Conor McGregor has won five world titles when you factor in both the interim and undisputed UFC featherweight championship, the lightweight title he took off Eddie Alvarez, and his two belts under the Cage Warriors banner.
Sure, Michael Jordan was a five-time MVP, but as we mentioned above, Conor McGregor has headlined eight of the 10 biggest UFC PPVs of all time. He’s also responsible for three of the biggest gates in UFC history.
At the peak of his popularity, Jordan walked away from basketball to try his hand at baseball. He signed with the Chicago White Sox and completed one season, primarily playing for the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A club.
McGregor did something similar, leaving behind the UFC and both his belts for a professional boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.
After their unsuccessful stints competing elsewhere, both men returned to the sport that made them megastars.
In the twilight of his career, Jordan played for the Washington Wizards for two seasons. The team went 60-75 in games where the Brooklyn native saw time on the court. McGregor, who also finds himself in the waning years of his own career, has lost four of his last five fights, including his 2017 matchup with ‘Money’ in the sweet science.