Conor McGregor is undoubtedly one of the most celebrated sports personalities globally, with a charismatic personality and an incredible skill set. The Irishman has carved out a niche for himself in the sports, business, and entertainment industries, and his brand has become synonymous with the UFC even eclipsing the promotion occasionally. However, what sets him apart from other MMA pros is his innate ability to create and market a winning gimmick.
Like some of the greatest pro wrestlers of all time, the former two-division champion generated a ton of buzz by trash-talking his opponents. And even better, at his peak he was able to back up his talk.
On a recent episode of the Hotboxin’ podcast, boxing icon Mike Tyson and WWE superstar The Undertaker spoke about the importance of developing a persona in combat sports.
While talking about the elements that led to Conor McGregor’s success, Tyson said:
“The only guys that got all the money, they [have] got a gimmick… Conor McGregor, he has a gimmick. He’s crazy, he’s bold, it’s a gimmick. In real life he’s a beautiful guy… You have to have a gimmick.”
The Undertaker answered in agreement with Tyson and said:
“It sells tickets, puts a**es in seats. That’s what we did. That’s a great assessment right there, you have to have a gimmick.”
McGregor’s pay-per-view statistics support the idea that Tyson and The Undertaker hinted at. McGregor has eight of the top ten most-bought UFC pay-per-view spots. Additionally, his grudge match against Khabib Nurmagomedov comes in first.
But McGregor has been on a downward trajectory for years now, with his only notable win in recent years coming against the retired Cowboy Cerrone.
Conor McGregor was even booted from UFC rankings in the months leading up to TUF – after more than 8 years on the list. Still, many UFC athletes including Alex Volkanovski are aware of McGregor’s star power and remain convinced that a single win is all it takes for McGregor to get a title shot again.