Conor McGregor became the world’s biggest superstar with his flashy style of doing MMA, his highlight-reel knockouts, and definitely his charismatic personality and confidence. He came to the forefront of people’s eyes through his UFC journey, through which we came to know him. However, his road to the apex martial arts organization was also shaped by other influential forces that helped make him the name he is today.
UFC president Dana White has the eye of a hawk when it comes to picking talent, especially when it comes to spotting amazing fighters from foreign countries like Brazil, Ireland, and England. For European talents, Cage Warriors was the place the head honcho looked. The Irish-led promotion’s headquarters are in England, and in 2010, Graham Boylan became the man who took on the weight of the entire company. He is the backbone of drafting talents into the UFC and was also revealed to have turned the company into a $25 million business around the time the TKO merger happened in 2023.
Cage Warriors has produced a wave of top-tier talent who have made their mark in the UFC. Big names like Michael Bisping, Gegard Mousasi, Dan Hardy, and recently, Paddy Pimblett all came through this respected organization. Even McGregor, before becoming a double champ in the UFC, held two titles here. Reminiscing about his rise, McGregor shared an old walkout video, draped in the Irish flag on his Instagram Story, calling Cage Warriors a “Stellar Fight Organisation”
MMA: UFC 246-McGregor vs Cerrone, January 18, 2020 Las Vegas, Nevada, USA Conor McGregor arrives before fighting against Donald Cerrone during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports , 18.01.2020 23:22:34, 13930601, NPStrans, T-Mobile Arena, Conor McGregor, MMA, Donald Cerrone, TopPic PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xMarkxJ.xRebilasx 13930601
‘The Notorious’ has repeatedly praised Cage Warriors for being a crucial part of his journey, as well as that of many others in the sport. This time, his praise might be connected to CW 189: Rome, scheduled for May 31st in Rome, Italy, featuring Giacomo Michelis vs. Sado Ucar. The event will be available for live streaming on UFC Fight Pass, thanks to the strong relationship with Dana White. So, who knows, the former two-division champ might even attend the event in Rome!
Now that we’ve heard Conor McGregor praise his former promotion, it’s also worth noting that he’s on a journey to become one of the top promoters in combat sports. In line with that ambition, he recently shared a picture highlighting the main event bout of BKFC 74 and also took some shots. Let’s take a look at that as well.
Conor McGregor shares praise for BKFC 74 stars and also targets Mike Perry
Since joining BKFC, Conor McGregor has played a significant role in elevating the promotion into a major player in combat sports. His promotional flair is often on full display in the lead-up to events, where he brings the same animated energy he was known for during his MMA career. However, he was not present when the BKFC 74 main event delivered intense action on Saturday night, as Josh Dyer stopped Mike Richman in the fourth round after a brutal and bloody battle.
McGregor while showing this praise for both fighters, also ripped Mike Perry in his Instagram Story, where he wrote, “MY NEW LIGHTHEAVYWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION IS A NASTY VINDICTIVE PIECE OF WORK. Call them all out our champion. Go outside the sphere. Slap them around, they can do nothing about it, say it more. The Rock Johnson. @platinummikeperry, he called you out as well. Not a whisper out of you. you have never been bare-knuckle world champion. We made a fake belt for you. Most violent jak paul [sic] mvp hahahaa DONT MENTION BARE KNUCKLE FC AGAIN.”
‘The Notorious One’ and Mike Perry shared a strong relationship during Perry’s time in BKFC, especially after the Irishman became a partner in the promotion. However, things took a turn after Perry lost his boxing match against Jake Paul. That event marked the beginning of a saga filled with verbal exchanges between McGregor and Perry, and this is yet another jibe in their ongoing feud.
So, with that being said, the question now is: can Conor McGregor truly turn BKFC into one of the premier combat sports promotions? Also, don’t forget to share your thoughts on Cage Warriors and its crucial role in shaping the careers of both Dana White and Conor McGregor in the comment box below.
The post Conor McGregor Has Only 3 Words for Dana White’s $25M UFC ‘Draft’ That Propelled the Irishman Into Superstardom appeared first on EssentiallySports.