Conor McGregor’s Seven-Year Spiral: Money, Madness, and Missed Opportunities

Conor McGregor’s Seven-Year Spiral: Money, Madness, and Missed Opportunities

There was a time when Conor McGregor was the most exciting name in combat sports. He was brash, fearless, and had a left hand that could put anyone to sleep. He talked big, backed it up, and made fans believe that anything was possible.

Then came that moment—the face-off with Floyd Mayweather on July 12, 2017, in Toronto. Dressed in a sharp blue suit, McGregor stood nose-to-nose with the undefeated boxing legend, taunting him in front of thousands of screaming fans. Mayweather, decked out in casual “Money Team” gear and what seemed like a million dollars in jewelry, stayed calm. The crowd, however, belonged to McGregor.

This wasn’t just a fight; it was a spectacle. And McGregor—who had once been collecting welfare checks before making it big in the UFC—was now standing toe-to-toe with one of the richest athletes in the world.

A month later, Mayweather won the fight, stopping McGregor in the 10th round. But McGregor didn’t walk away as a loser. He walked away rich. He reportedly made over $100 million for that fight, a figure that dwarfed anything he had earned in the UFC.

That’s when everything changed.

When the Money Took Over

For years, McGregor had fought to survive—to make a name for himself, to prove doubters wrong, to chase belts. But once he had money, fame, and power, his hunger started to fade. He had built himself up to be an unstoppable force, but now, for the first time, he was comfortable.

The warning signs were there. In late 2017, he caused a scene at a Bellator MMA event in Dublin, jumping into the cage before the fight was even officially over. It was small, but it showed a shift—McGregor wasn’t just a fighter anymore; he was a celebrity who could do whatever he wanted.

Then came the infamous bus attack in April 2018. After his rival Khabib Nurmagomedov had a run-in with one of McGregor’s teammates, McGregor and his crew stormed the Barclays Center in New York, throwing a metal dolly through a bus window. Fighters were injured. It was chaos.

Dana White called it “the most disgusting thing in UFC history.” But the UFC wasn’t about to turn its back on its biggest star.

Later that year, McGregor fought Khabib at UFC 229, and the lead-up to the fight was pure madness. The usual trash talk turned personal. McGregor insulted Khabib’s family, his religion, and his culture. It became ugly.

When fight night came, Khabib dominated him, forcing McGregor to tap out in the fourth round. Then all hell broke loose—Khabib jumped the cage and attacked McGregor’s team. The arena turned into a battlefield.

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McGregor was fined and suspended. But the real damage? It was to his aura. He was no longer the unbeatable force he once was.

The Legal Troubles Pile Up

After the Khabib fight, things only got worse. McGregor was arrested in Miami for smashing a fan’s phone. He was caught on video punching a 50-year-old man in a Dublin bar for refusing a shot of his whiskey. More assault accusations surfaced. Lawsuits started piling up.

Then came the sexual assault allegations. In 2019, reports emerged that McGregor was being investigated for an alleged assault in Dublin. No criminal charges were filed, but it was another blow to his public image.

Despite all this, McGregor kept teasing a return. He fought Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone in early 2020 and won in 40 seconds. For a moment, it felt like the old McGregor was back. But that was his last win in the UFC.

A year later, he fought Dustin Poirier, and this time, things didn’t go his way. Poirier knocked him out cold. Fans and analysts wondered—was the McGregor magic gone?

Desperate for revenge, McGregor fought Poirier again just six months later. But disaster struck. Late in the first round, McGregor stepped back, and his leg snapped in half. Just like that, his career was put on hold.

Source: Inside the seven-year free fall of Conor McGregor

The Long Road Back (or Maybe Not)

After his injury, McGregor was everywhere except the Octagon. He was making movies, buying businesses, partying in yachts, and getting into more trouble. He was accused of assaulting a woman in Ibiza. He was caught in another lawsuit over his whiskey brand. He was even sued by his former training partner Artem Lobov.

Still, he kept teasing a comeback. He was announced as a coach on The Ultimate Fighter, with the plan to fight Michael Chandler in 2024. Fans were hopeful. This was the McGregor comeback they had been waiting for.

Then, another setback. He wasn’t re-entering the UFC’s drug testing pool. This meant he couldn’t fight. Months passed with no official updates.

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Finally, in early 2024, the UFC announced that McGregor vs. Chandler was happening on June 29. Tickets sold fast. The hype was real.

But just weeks before the fight, the UFC suddenly canceled a press conference in Ireland. Something felt off. A few days later, reports surfaced—McGregor was out of the fight. The reason? A broken toe.

Fans were frustrated. Chandler, his would-be opponent, was frustrated. And most of all, the UFC was frustrated. McGregor pulling out of a fight for the first time ever made everyone question whether he even wanted to fight anymore.

Conor McGregor’s Seven-Year Spiral: Money, Madness, and Missed Opportunities

The Guilty Verdict and a Strange Announcement

As if things couldn’t get worse, in November 2024, a civil court in Dublin found McGregor guilty of assaulting a woman in a hotel room back in 2018. He was ordered to pay over $250,000 in damages. Though he denied the accusations and planned to appeal, the verdict added another dark chapter to his already tarnished legacy.

Then, in classic McGregor fashion, he dropped a bombshell in December—he wasn’t coming back to the UFC anytime soon. Instead, he was in “preliminary agreements” to box Logan Paul in an exhibition match in India.

Fans were stunned. Many expected McGregor’s next move to be a UFC fight, not a YouTube-fueled boxing match. If this fight happens, it could push his MMA return to at least summer 2025—if he ever comes back at all.

What’s Next for McGregor?

Conor McGregor’s story is one of extreme highs and shocking lows. He went from a hungry fighter with nothing to lose to one of the richest and most controversial athletes in sports.

The question is: Does he still want to fight?

Because at this point, McGregor is more of a businessman and social media personality than a real fighter. He has money, fame, and power—but does he have the drive?

If McGregor never fights in the UFC again, his legacy is already cemented. He changed the sport, made history, and built an empire. But if he wants to prove he’s still the warrior he once was, he’ll need to get back into the Octagon soon.

Otherwise, his career will always be a story of “what could have been.”
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