MMA Fighter Conor McGregor’s Ups and Downs Over the Years

While Conor McGregor is a champion fighter, he has faced a series of ups and downs inside — and outside — the Octagon.

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) star began his impressive mixed martial career in 2008 and was signed to the professional league in 2013. Throughout his reign in the UFC, McGregor has collected a series of accolades including the UFC Featherweight Championship, UFC Lightweight Championship, Fight of the Night, Knockout of the Night and more.

Three years after his debut, McGregor lost his first match against challenger Nate Diaz in March 2016. One month after the loss, McGregor announced he had decided to retire from fighting.

“I have decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese,” he wrote via Twitter in April 2016. “Catch ya’s later.”

However, his retirement didn’t last long. Four months later, McGregor revealed he was returning to the sport to take on Diaz in a rematch. He defeated his rival in August 2016. McGregor continued to make waves and decided the following year he wanted to challenge boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. to a match. Their August 2017 showdown was billed as “the biggest fight in combat sports history.” The fighters sparred for ten rounds before Mayweather Jr. was declared the victor.

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McGregor decided to retire for a second time in March 2019 but reversed the decision the following year to participate in a match against Donald Cerrone. Following his win against Cerrone, McGregor announced in June 2020 he would retire for a third time. Two months later, McGregor proposed to his long-time girlfriend Dee Delvin after 12 years of dating. (The couple share three children: sons Conor Jr., and Rian, and daughter Croia Mairead.)

The following year, McGregor made headlines after getting into a scuffle with Machine Gun Kelly at the 2021 MTV Video Music Awards after the rapper allegedly denied taking a photo with the mixed martial artist. McGregor’s rep refuted the claims to Us Weekly in September 2021.

“This is totally false. [There was] no photo request,” the spokesperson told Us at the time, noting that Kelly “attended Conor’s last fight” and that McGregor “appreciates all his fans.”

Two years after the drama with Kelly, McGregor found himself in hot water again. In June 2023, he was accused of raping a woman in Miami while attending Game 4 of the NBA Finals. In demand letters obtained by Us at the time, the woman’s attorney, Ariel Mitchell, alleged that the MMA fighter “violently” sexually assaulted her in a men’s bathroom. A rep for McGregor released a statement to TMZ refuting the allegations. At the time of the accusations, McGregor and his fiancée announced they were expecting their fourth child.

Keep scrolling to see McGregor’s ups and downs:

UFC signed McGregor to his first multi-fight contract, becoming the second Irish fighter in the league’s history. He made his debut against Marcus Brimage that April. McGregor won the fight by knockout in round one, which earned him his first-ever “Knockout of the Night” award.

After three years of success in the UFC, the fighter lost his first match against Diaz in March of that year. The following month, McGregor announced he was going to retire from the sport. However, he returned four months later to challenge the Ultimate Fighter 5 alum to a rematch and ultimately won.

After making a name for himself in UFC, McGregor decided to take up boxing and faced Mayweather Jr. in the ring. The boxer defeated McGregor in the 10th round via TKO.

The Ireland native was charged with three counts of misdemeanor assault and one count of felony criminal mischief in April. McGregor was caught on camera throwing a hand dolly through a window of a bus that had fellow UFC fighters inside after a UFC 223 media event at Barclays Center in New York City. Following the altercation, McGregor was stripped of his UFC lightweight championship.  

McGregor retired for the second time and announced his decision via Twitter.

“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as ‘Mixed Martial Art’ today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition,” he penned in March. “I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”

After nearly a year of retirement, the athlete decided to stage a second comeback at the beginning of the year. He returned to the octagon to face Cerrone and won the match via technical knockout in the first round. Six months after the match, McGregor announced he would retire yet again. In August, McGregor proposed to Devlin.

While attending the VMAs, McGregor got into an altercation with Kelly. The twosome were seen arguing at the Barclays Center ahead of the awards show and being held back. McGregor allegedly asked the musician for a photograph, which Kelly allegedly denied. McGregor, for his part, refuted the claims.

McGregor was accused of raping a woman during Game 4 of the NBA Finals in Miami. In demand letters obtained by Us in June, the woman’s lawyer alleged that McGregor “violently” sexually assaulted her in a men’s bathroom. The lawyer claimed that security guards employed by the NBA and the Miami Heat helped separate the woman from her friend and forced her into a restroom where McGregor and his security guard were allegedly waiting. A rep for McGregor called the allegations “false” in a statement to TMZ, adding, “Mr. McGregor will not be intimidated.”